Remedy's Control lands on Xbox Game Pass, as gamers wait for Xbox Series X upgrade

Control, the paranormal action game from Remedy (Alan Wake), is landing on Xbox Game Pass this month. The 2020 title arrives on Xbox's game subscription service as of December 3, and joins a sizable catalogue of around 200 curated Xbox games.

That's a big deal for anyone yet to play Control on Xbox One or Xbox Series X – a mind-bending game that blends X-Files mystery and high-tech gadgets with Arthurian legend and a sleek Mad Men-era styling. Playing the game led one of our own writers to call it "the best time you'll have in a paranormally-warped office". High praise indeed.

Other titles to join Game Pass in December include Doom Eternal (also coming to Nintendo Switch this month), Dragon Quest XI, and Rage 2. You can see the full list of additions here.

But Control landing on Xbox Game Pass is interesting, given how contentious the issue of playing it on Xbox has become.

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Only in November did we hear that Remedy's planned Xbox Series X-optimized edition of Control Ultimate Edition – which contains the base game as well as both DLC expansions – was being delayed until 2021. Whichever Xbox console you have, then, you'll have the chance to take the game for a supernatural spin before wondering whether to buy.

Anyone who bought Control Ultimate Edition will be able to get a free next-gen upgrade as and when it arrives – meaning anyone who likes what they find on Game Pass should consider buying the game with a Game Pass discount while it lasts.

However, buyers of the standard Control Edition, even if they bought the expansions alongside, won't be eligible – tarring what would otherwise be a glorious season of Control celebration.

Out of control

Control is set to get next-gen upgrades on PS5 and Xbox Series X, to get the most out of the new hardware – though the current-gen iteration of the game should still look better and play better given the jump in processing and load times available.

The next-gen upgrade was initially planned to coincide with the PS5 and Xbox Series X launch window, but has since been delayed until sometime in 2021.

With planned launch title Halo Infinite also moved into next year, there isn't much to really show what the Xbox Series X can do so far – though signing up to Game Pass and seeing old favorites (or new ones) given a new lease of life on the "world's most powerful console" should be a treat unto itself.

Not got a next-gen console yet? Check out our where to buy Xbox Series X and where to buy PS5 pages, where we'll be tracking what small amounts of stock become available.