Following player feedback, 505Games clarified their recent announcement of the Control Ultimate Edition, and the availability of the game on next-gen consoles.
In their original post, the publishers revealed that they would "offer a free next-gen digital upgrade for those who buy Control Ultimate Edition on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One", later clarifying in the same FAQ, "the free upgrade path to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 version of Control is only available for Control Ultimate Edition.
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Will I be able to purchase the Control base game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, without the additional content?
No. The only version of Control available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will be Control Ultimate Edition.
However, if you have the Control base game, the Expansion Packs or the Season Pass on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One in your collection, you will still be able to play 100% of your game and enjoy an enhanced experience through backwards compatibility.
Does this mean the Season Pass won’t be available to purchase separately on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?
Correct. All content featured will be available as part of Control Ultimate Edition. The original base game, Expansion Packs and Season Pass will not be sold separately on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
I own the Control base game and Season Pass. Is this not the same as Control Ultimate Edition?
The objective of Control Ultimate Edition was not to release new exclusive content on the next gen platforms, but to offer the full Control gameplay experience to new Control players in a single, easy-to-find product. The PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X versions of Control contain the same content as the current gen game, though they do take full advantage of the power and features provided by these new consoles.
The upgrade path that we are offering is only possible when upgrading from the same version of the game. As we are only doing additional development on Control Ultimate Edition on the next gen platforms, we are unfortunately unable to offer an upgrade path to all existing Control players. We understand how this might upset a number of players but you will still be able to play the 2019 edition of Control and each Expansion on the new platforms.
Is Control backwards compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?
Absolutely! Owners of the original edition of Control on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can enjoy backwards compatibility when next gen systems launch.
In conclusion…
To bring Control to next generation consoles in any form, we had to make some difficult decisions and those came in the form of creating the simplified Control Ultimate Edition product plan we have today.
That we took a while in responding does not mean we have not been listening. We are sorry we couldn’t meet everyone’s expectations and we hope you will continue to support Control. We thank you for your support thus far.
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Feedback on the announcement was mixed. Some were excited about the new edition and the game coming to next-generation consoles, a move that would introduce more players to the game. Others felt that the upgrade should be available for free, as other studio had recently announced, including CD Projekt Red with Cyberpunk 2077 and Crystal Dynamics with Marvel's Avengers. There was also a lot of confusion over certain factors including possible upgrades to the Control Ultimate Edition or if the base game would be available separately.
Today, a new article answered some of those queries and touched on 505Games' decision, in which they stated that "Every avenue we pursued, there was some form of blocker and those blockers meant that at least one group of players ended up being left out of the upgrade for various reasons. As of today, we can’t offer an upgrade to everyone, and leaving any one group out feels unfair. We understand that is not what you want to hear."
In our last news post, I wrapped up what was discussed but with the topic, this time I'm going to quote exactly what the publishers stated:
No. The only version of Control available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will be Control Ultimate Edition.
However, if you have the Control base game, the Expansion Packs or the Season Pass on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One in your collection, you will still be able to play 100% of your game and enjoy an enhanced experience through backwards compatibility.
Does this mean the Season Pass won’t be available to purchase separately on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?
Correct. All content featured will be available as part of Control Ultimate Edition. The original base game, Expansion Packs and Season Pass will not be sold separately on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
I own the Control base game and Season Pass. Is this not the same as Control Ultimate Edition?
The objective of Control Ultimate Edition was not to release new exclusive content on the next gen platforms, but to offer the full Control gameplay experience to new Control players in a single, easy-to-find product. The PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X versions of Control contain the same content as the current gen game, though they do take full advantage of the power and features provided by these new consoles.
The upgrade path that we are offering is only possible when upgrading from the same version of the game. As we are only doing additional development on Control Ultimate Edition on the next gen platforms, we are unfortunately unable to offer an upgrade path to all existing Control players. We understand how this might upset a number of players but you will still be able to play the 2019 edition of Control and each Expansion on the new platforms.
Is Control backwards compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?
Absolutely! Owners of the original edition of Control on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can enjoy backwards compatibility when next gen systems launch.
In conclusion…
To bring Control to next generation consoles in any form, we had to make some difficult decisions and those came in the form of creating the simplified Control Ultimate Edition product plan we have today.
That we took a while in responding does not mean we have not been listening. We are sorry we couldn’t meet everyone’s expectations and we hope you will continue to support Control. We thank you for your support thus far.
You can read the full blog post, HERE!
