MacGameFPS

How many FPS does Control Ultimate Edition get on the iMac M3? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance

23FPS

1080p High

Estimate

14

1440p

7

4K

Struggles

About 23 FPS at 1080p on High: Control Ultimate Edition runs natively on the iMac M3 (Apple M3, 8-core GPU, 8 GB). That is on the edge, but it is playable with lower settings. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Low (about 32 FPS).

Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it

Control Ultimate Edition FPS on iMac M3 by resolution and quality

Estimate
ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p32FPS28FPS23FPS19FPS
1440p20FPS17FPS14FPS12FPS
4K10FPS9FPS7FPS6FPS

Estimated average in normal gameplay with the game and macOS up to date. Green: 60+ · lime: 45+ · amber: 30+ · orange: 20+ · red: under 20.

Recommended settings

For 60 FPS

Not reached even on Low at 1080p, nor with MetalFX.

For 30 FPS

1080p · Low

≈ 32 FPS

Moving to 1440p High puts the iMac M3 at about 14 FPS. MetalFX renders at a lower resolution and upscales, so it is the cheapest way to play at the display’s native resolution.

Full guide to boost Control Ultimate Edition FPS on Mac →

Performance with MetalFX

MetalFX renders Control Ultimate Edition at a lower internal resolution and reconstructs the image: you gain FPS for a little sharpness. Figures on High with 8 GB.

ResolutionNativeQualityBalancedPerformance
1080p23FPS29FPS35FPS39FPS
1440p14FPS18FPS22FPS24FPS
4K7FPS9FPS11FPS13FPS

All figures are without ray tracing. The real MetalFX gain varies by game and version.

The MacGameFPS verdict

Calibrated on real Mac benchmarks, not spec sheets

Is the iMac M3 enough for Control Ultimate Edition?

It falls short: 23 FPS at 1080p High. For 30 FPS use 1080p Low.

Struggles · 1440p 14 FPS · 4K 7 FPS

Guide to boost Control Ultimate Edition FPS on Mac →

iMac M3 or MacBook Air M4 for Control Ultimate Edition?

In Control Ultimate Edition at 1080p High, the iMac M3 gets 23 FPS and the MacBook Air M4 25 FPS: 9% more.

iMac M3 specs

iMac M3
Chip
Apple M3
GPU cores
8 / 10
Unified memory
8 / 16 / 24 GB
Cooling
Fan
Geekbench Metal
41,753
Tier
Entry level · 11/100

See the iMac M3’s FPS in every game →

Other Macs with the M3 chip

The Apple M3 also powers the MacBook Air M3 and the MacBook Pro M3. In Control Ultimate Edition, the MacBook Pro M3 gets 28 FPS at 1080p High, 22% more than the iMac M3.

How much memory do you need?

On Apple Silicon the GPU shares memory with the system, so the RAM you picked when buying the Mac is also your video memory. Control Ultimate Edition asks for 8 GB minimum.

Memory1080p High1440p High
8 GB23FPS14FPS
16 GB25FPS15FPS
24 GB25FPS15FPS

Other Macs for Control Ultimate Edition

1080p · High

Control Ultimate Edition on every Mac →

Shopping for an all-round gaming Mac? Mac ranking by real FPS →

Other games on the iMac M3

Every game on the iMac M3 →

Official Mac requirements

Minimum
Mac with Apple silicon
Recommended
Ray tracing requires M3 or later

Source: apps.apple.com

FAQ

Can the 8 GB iMac M3 run Control Ultimate Edition?

Yes. With 8 GB we estimate 23 FPS at 1080p High.

Can Control Ultimate Edition hit 60 FPS on the iMac M3?

Not consistently. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Low (about 32 FPS).

What about 1440p and 4K?

On High, the iMac M3 gets about 14 FPS at 1440p and about 7 FPS at 4K in Control Ultimate Edition. These are native figures: MetalFX raises both noticeably.

Do these figures include MetalFX or ray tracing?

No. The headline figure is native resolution, no MetalFX and no ray tracing. The table below shows MetalFX turned on. Ray tracing, where a game offers it, costs a lot of FPS on any Mac.

Is Control Ultimate Edition native on Apple Silicon?

Yes, it has a native Apple Silicon version, available on Steam and the Mac App Store. No CrossOver, Parallels or Game Porting Toolkit needed.