By Control Resonant is out now, and while Remedy’s latest starts slowly, it quickly ramps up into glorious mayhem. On the Steam Machine the game performs pretty well overall, but it needs upscaling at every resolution tested, and some settings need to be avoided entirely.
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1440p performance
Running at 1440p on the High preset is a struggle. Native resolution is not an option, so FSR needs to be set to at least Quality. XeSS is not currently available in the game, so FSR is the only upscaler. With these settings, the frame rate sits around 30-40 FPS when the action gets hectic. That is respectable given how chaotic the fights get, but 30 FPS can be hard to stomach in some areas, and it pushes the limits of what is comfortable on the Steam Machine. 4K is not really possible at all right now.
Dropping to the Medium preset at 1440p makes a big difference, bringing performance much closer to 60 FPS. Areas with lots of reflections and lighting effects still sit around 40-50 FPS, but combat holds at roughly 50 FPS, which makes this a much better way to play.
1080p performance
Even at 1080p, the High preset isn’t really viable at native resolution. Performance is about the same as 1440p with FSR Quality, so this game relies heavily on FSR to be playable. Switching FSR to Quality at 1080p High gives a solid 70-80 FPS.
With FSR still on Quality, 1080p can even handle the Ultra preset. In the most chaotic moments, with enemies everywhere, it still holds 50-60 FPS. Reaching around 50 FPS at 1080p shows the game needs optimization, but it remains enjoyable and more than playable.
Warning: don’t enable Ray Tracing
Turning on ray tracing crashes the game straight back to the home screen, and it will keep crashing on every launch after that. The setting can be fixed by manually editing the game’s settings files, but there is a quicker route:
- Turn on Developer Mode in the System settings menu.
- Open the game’s properties, where a new Developer section will now appear.
- Use the option there to delete the game’s Proton files.
Be warned: this deletes your local save and resets the game as if freshly installed, so make sure your progress is backed up to Steam Cloud first. With cloud saves enabled, you can jump straight back in with ray tracing off. If you are worried about losing your save, you can edit the settings files in Desktop Mode instead.
Best settings for Steam Machine
- Resolution: 1440p
- Preset: Medium
- Upscaling: FSR Quality
- Ray tracing: Off
For higher frame rates, 1080p High with FSR Quality delivers 70-80 FPS, while 1080p Ultra with FSR Quality holds 50-60 FPS.
GeForce NOW for 4K and ray tracing
For the full experience, GeForce NOW can run Control Resonant at 4K on Ultra settings with DLSS Quality and ray tracing on High, while staying above 60 FPS with only minor dips. That needs a decent internet connection, ideally using the Steam Machine’s wired LAN port. The Ultimate tier, which runs on RTX 5080-class hardware, really shows its worth here.
Verdict
Control Resonant needs further optimization, but it is already a great experience on the Steam Machine at 1440p Medium with FSR Quality. Just leave ray tracing off locally, and use GeForce NOW for anyone who wants to see the game at 4K with every effect turned on.