Control Resonant PC demands 120GB SSD, upscaling

The highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s Control, Control Resonant, is set to launch on September 24, and Remedy Entertainment has revealed the final PC system requirements. The game promises to run on older hardware, but with a catch: players will need a substantial 120GB of SSD space. This marks a significant storage demand, especially for a title that aims to be accessible to a wide range of players, though it’s still below the requirements of some other modern games.

Remedy has divided the requirements into two categories: with and without ray tracing/path tracing. Notably, the company has been transparent about the need for upscaling at every setting, a trend that other developers often overlook. This honesty is a refreshing change in an industry where system requirements can sometimes be misleading, leaving players with unexpected performance issues.

Upscaling and Hardware Demands

To achieve 1080p@30fps, players will need a GTX 1070 and a Core i5-8500, with upscaling set to quality. This setup is relatively modest by today’s standards, making the game accessible to those with aging hardware. For those aiming for 4K@60fps with path tracing and High graphics settings, an RTX 5080 is required, along with upscaling set to performance. The CPU requirements for this setup are more lenient, needing only a Core i7-10700 or Ryzen 7 3700X. This flexibility in CPU requirements highlights Remedy’s focus on optimizing the game for a broad range of systems, ensuring that even players with mid-range CPUs can enjoy high-end graphics with the right GPU.

Across all configurations, the game demands 16GB of RAM and a significant 120GB of SSD space. While SSDs have become the norm for modern games, Control Resonant’s storage requirement places it in the upper half of the spectrum, though still below titles like God of War Ragnarök, which requires 190GB. The shift towards larger storage requirements reflects the increasing complexity and detail in modern game design, but it also poses challenges for players with limited SSD capacity, potentially necessitating upgrades or careful management of existing storage.

For players, this means that while the game is accessible on older hardware, the storage demand could be a hurdle, especially for those with limited SSD capacity. It also highlights a growing trend in the industry, where games are increasingly demanding more storage space, potentially pushing players to upgrade their systems. This trend is likely to continue as developers push the boundaries of graphical fidelity and game size, making storage capacity a more critical consideration for gamers.

Additional Features and Gameplay Shift

Control Resonant also boasts features like an uncapped framerate, HDR support, ultrawide aspect ratios, and compatibility with DLSS 4.5 and FSR 4.1 at launch. These features ensure that the game can take full advantage of modern display technologies, offering a visually stunning experience for players with high-end setups. The inclusion of DLSS and FSR also helps to balance performance and visual quality, allowing players to achieve higher frame rates without sacrificing too much detail.

The game marks a shift in gameplay, moving away from the third-person shooter focus of its predecessor and leaning more into action-RPG elements, emphasizing melee combat and player-driven progression. This change reflects a broader trend in the gaming industry, where developers are increasingly blending genres to create more diverse and engaging experiences. While this shift may alienate some fans of the original, it also opens the door to new players who prefer the depth and customization of action-RPGs.

Early previews have been largely positive, though the change in gameplay style may not appeal to all fans of the original. Players can pre-purchase the game now on Steam and the Epic Games Store ahead of its September release. With its blend of accessible hardware requirements, advanced graphical features, and innovative gameplay, Control Resonant is shaping up to be one of the most exciting releases of the year, offering something new for both returning fans and newcomers alike.