Control Cloud Version Is The First Nintendo Switch Game With Ray Tracing

Developers of the phenomenal game, Control, have announced that it is bringing its game to the Nintendo Switch, making Control the first game on the Switch with ray tracing. Unfortunately, the game is not available to download and must be streamed from the cloud. However, it is the Ultimate Edition that Switch players have access to now, so the scale tips in the game’s favor, as this is the version of the game that players will need to get the next-gen version for free when it is re-released on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Control has been out for just over a year now and has been incredibly successful, being marked as one of the most memorable games of 2019. While there are some technical issues, the narrative and gameplay are really what drew so many positive reviews. Players take control of Jesse Fadan, the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, which is a secret U.S. government force that contains and studies the paranormal. When supernatural enemies called the Hiss start corrupting reality, Jesse must stop them with her unique and powerful psychokinetic abilities and her trusty gun that changes to match the need.

Remedy Entertainment revealed that Control Ultimate Edition – Cloud Version has been brought to Nintendo Switch during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct Mini. On its website, it excitedly tells fans that this is the first Remedy game to be brought to the Switch, but it is also the first game with ray tracing abilities to be brought to the console. Players can choose between two different settings, either the enhanced graphics mode which turns ray tracing on but runs the game at 30fps or the enhanced performance mode which runs at 60fps but turns ray tracing off. The game can be played in handheld mode, tabletop mode, and TV mode. Plus, as long as there is a stable internet connection, the game synchronizes saves with the cloud. Due to the title being cloud-based, Switch owners must download a launcher application to test whether the internet is strong and fast enough to handle the game, and then must pay for the Access Pass, which will allow them to actually play it through the Nintendo eShop.

Control Ultimate Edition includes the base game, all additional game modes which include Expeditions and Photo mode, all the free updates that have been released since the game came out, and both expansions: The Foundation and AWE. This second expansion, which stands for Altered World Events surrounds these AWEs which have great power to do almost anything in this reality-bending world. Due to the almost endless possibilities that this opens up, it seems likely that this expansion will lead to a crossover with Remedy’s previous game, Alan Wake, which Control has some Easter eggs for already.

It is a pity that players can’t have the best of both worlds, instead of having to choose between 60fps and ray tracing. However, being a cloud-based game allows Control to look better than it would normally on the Switch’s hardware. Theoretically, access to cloud-based games on the Switch is a big step forward for Nintendo’s gaming, but it remains to be seen how well it works in practice.

Source: Remedy Entertainment

Control is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.