Control looks amazing on PS5, but the game needs more DualSense

Control's highly-anticipated release on the PS5 comes with performance and resolution enhancements. It also brings DualSense support, which if you've had the opportunity to use, you'll know how much of a game changer it can be. That, unfortunately, isn't the case this time around, but that's understandable. Control wasn't originally designed with the DualSense or PS5 in mind, so support for its adaptive triggers is minimal. Still, it makes me eager to see what Remedy can pull off with its next release.

How does DualSense work with Control on PS5?

The first thing I noticed with the DualSense in Control is that each of Jesse's footsteps is now accompanied by a small jolt from the controller. It's never enough to get annoying, and it gives you a good sense of how fast you're moving.

Aside from feeling Jesse's footsteps, there are also very subtle differences between some the guns. Some were so subtle (like Grip and Shatter) that I had to mute my game and close my eyes to tell the difference because looking at the screen or hearing the gameplay would throw off my perception. But in the end I could accurately tell which gun I was shooting based on the feedback my controller gave. That's impressive, especially considering sometimes it was difficult to differentiate between them visually. Other Service Weapon forms like Pierce have more pronounced and unique feedback

I used to hate Sony's DualShock line of controllers, but the DualSense pleasantly surprised me. I'll praise it just about any chance I get. While I like what was done with Control, knowing how the DualSense is used in other games — not just exclusives like Astro's Playroom or Bugsnax, but titles like No Man's Sky, too — it makes its support in Control feel inferior to others. Not bad, but definitely not amazing.

Considering what we know is possible with the DualSense, I hope to see more developers utilize it to its fullest extent. Maybe not to the exact levels that Astro's Playroom did, but more than what Control offers in its Ultimate Edition.

Regardless of what the DualSense does or doesn't do for Control Ultimate Edition, the game is absolutely gorgeous. The level of detail in its destructible environment is stunning and the aesthetic is just as jaw-dropping. In a much welcome turn of events, it also loads between fast travel points within a few seconds, without any noticeable frame rate drops. This is a huge improvement over last-gen, especially the base consoles, which often struggled to render this visually-impressive game.

Everything working in tandem with one another — its heightened controller feedback, its improved performance, its ray tracing — makes for an excellent next-gen experience. Control Ultimate Edition on PS5 is exactly what the game should have been when it originally launched on PS4. It may have taken over a year and a half to get to this point, but the end result is quite exceptional.

Even if you don't have PlayStation Plus (the game is free on it for February), I highly recommend picking up Control Ultimate Edition. Not only is it a fantastic game to begin with, the Ultimate Edition includes both of its expansions and it just plays wonderfully on Sony's latest machine. It's a personal favorite of mine and easily one of the best PS5 games you can get.