Control: Ultimate Edition - Cloud Version – Available Now! (28th October 2020)

[Julius]

Rise of the cloud. 

Edited October 28, 2020 by Julius

[drahkon]

Tried it just now.

Lag is quite noticeable.
Given how streaming games on other devices is pretty much lag free, it's not worth pursuing the game on Switch for me.

Shame, I liked the idea of Cloud Versions of certain games for the Switch.

[Ganepark32]

Genuinely surprised to see this announced for the Switch, even as a Cloud based version. I know Remedy has been spreading the love round in streamubg services with the game (it's available through Amazon Luna and playable of GeForce Now) but given Nintendo don't exactly have a tried, and tested Cloud service running and a spotty online service at that, but I just don't see this running well. Its a demanding game on all platforms with the abilities and chaotic nature of combat and that's before you even factor in streaming the game.

Weird and bold choice but not perhaps where they should start out the gate if they are going to try and push streaming capabilities on the Switch, at least until they get the underlying groundwork in place to support larger title streaming. Does make me think its a stop gap till the rumoured Pro edition of the Switch comes around and can run these games natively.

[drahkon]

4 minutes ago, Ganepark32 said:

I just don't see this running well

It runs surprisingly well, to be honest, but the input lag ruins it for me.
I guess it's because of WiFi, because when I streamed games on other devices - all connected via LAN - I got no input lag.

 

[RedShell]

28 minutes ago, drahkon said:

I guess it's because of WiFi, because when I streamed games on other devices - all connected via LAN - I got no input lag.

 

It’ll almost certainly be that, yeah. Made even worse by the fact that Switch has such a terrible WiFi connection.

[Cube]

It's an absolutely amazing game. Not sold on cloud gaming, but it's better then nothing I suppose.

[Ike]

Been wanting to try it out and it's free. Bonus!

[Ronnie]

28 minutes ago, Cube said:

It's an absolutely amazing game. Not sold on cloud gaming, but it's better then nothing I suppose.

Need to get back to the AWE expansion, I'd put an hour or so in and haven't gone back since. The Alan Wake connection means nothing to me 

[gaggle64]

Just tried my 10 minutes and it worked astonishingly well for me. Obviously mileage may vary depending on connection & setup but it ran smooth, no artifacting, no jumping, and any lag controlling was barely noticeable while playing in handheld with the router on the other side of the flat. Already own it on a decent PC, but if I didn't have one I would seriously consider playing it this way. 

[MindFreak]

I've heard good things about the game so I'm thrilled to see it on Switch, though I'm a bit sceptical about it being streamed. Will try it out for sure before I consider buying it. 

[gaggle64]

1 hour ago, MindFreak said:

I've heard good things about the game so I'm thrilled to see it on Switch, though I'm a bit sceptical about it being streamed. Will try it out for sure before I consider buying it. 

Just tried it again, seems you can play your 10 mins multiple times if you want to test it's performance under different conditions. 

[MindFreak]

Just tried it - got to the end of the Astral Plane (rings a bell.... what is it... Astral Chain? ). I couldn't find the price for the access pass, though, until I actually played the game. Is that just me?

Anyways. I'm impressed. I went for the Enhanced Performance-part and it ran fluently and looked good. I found the shooting a bit wonky but I'm unsure if that's just the game helping me out with my terrible aim or if there is something about the streaming here but either way, killed the enemies and moved on. Intriguing setting, I'm a bit curious and might buy the access pass.

However, I don't like this route, at least with digital games, I can always just keep my console but with streaming, the servers can shut down permanently, rendering my purchase useless. 

[Sméagol]

Gave the demo a quick try (also using the enhanced performance version) and, as a streaming skeptic, I must admit this ran perfectly fine.

I have no real interest in the game, but may "buy" it later for support, as I do like some aspects of it, and I can see streaming playing a much bigger part for Switch 2.

[Cube]

One thing to keep in mind is that the game has a lot of accessibility settings (including changing damage, god mode, recharge rates, etc) if you want to play the game more for the story.

Outside of a couple of side quest bosses, I found the difficulty to be pretty balanced, but it's nice to have the options.

 

[V. Amoleo]

So who is actually running the servers behind these games?  Is it Nintendo or the publishers?

Either way I am not cool with this trend.  Yeah you could say "then just don't buy it" but they're actively stopping development of native ports by their very existence.  What if Bethesda or ID had gone "Nah, let's just stream the game" for Skyrim or Doom?  No more playing them outside and there are much better options than the Switch when it comes to playing docked for these games.

The new Monster Hunter game is running on the newer RE engine so I was really hoping for a RE2/RE3 port, but that's gone now.

[Happenstance]

I mean if you want ports of high end games on the Switch then this is how it has to work. It’s an underpowered system that is only going to fall further behind otherwise as the next gen starts up. This seems like a good way for Nintendo gamers to get these games that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

As for the cloud streaming, apparently it’s a company called Ubitus.

 

[V. Amoleo]

13 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

I mean if you want ports of high end games on the Switch then this is how it has to work. It’s an underpowered system that is only going to fall further behind otherwise as the next gen starts up. This seems like a good way for Nintendo gamers to get these games that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

 

But that's really not the best way to go about it.  Surely hobbling the systems main feature of being a portable that can be played anywhere by tethering it to a good internet connection is a bad thing.  We're about to get a Doom Eternal port, it's not like with hard work and some compromises it's not possible to port current games.  I'd rather have some graphical compromises than a tethered streaming rental.

[Jonnas]

So, I tried the 10 minutes and... my internet connection is no good for this cloud business. Kinda expected it, but it was bizarre to experience it anyway, like playing a terrible PC port. I'd try to turn the camera, and a few seconds later, the camera goes spinning. Sometimes. I certainly had... no Control at all! [/laugh track]

But seriously, this is likely a good option for those of you who game primarily at home, so I'm happy for you anyway. Just make sure to get a decent internet cable (if your home's layout allows it) for the best experience.

15 hours ago, V. Amoleo said:

So who is actually running the servers behind these games?  Is it Nintendo or the publishers?

Either way I am not cool with this trend.  Yeah you could say "then just don't buy it" but they're actively stopping development of native ports by their very existence.  What if Bethesda or ID had gone "Nah, let's just stream the game" for Skyrim or Doom?  No more playing them outside and there are much better options than the Switch when it comes to playing docked for these games.

The new Monster Hunter game is running on the newer RE engine so I was really hoping for a RE2/RE3 port, but that's gone now.

Only a relatively small percentage of Switch owners will be able to do Cloud gaming reliably, so if companies go that route on the Switch, that'll mean a niche audience. Meanwhile, efforts like Doom's are likely to sell better. I figure it's a calculated risk, each choice having pros and cons.

To be honest, I think if a company opts for Cloud-based releases, the likely explanation is that the game couldn't even come to Switch anyway, even with compromises. I imagine Remedy really wanted to have Control on Switch, and this was the only option they could handle.