How many FPS does Control Ultimate Edition get on the MacBook Air M1? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance
13FPS
1080p High
Estimate
8
1440p
4
4K
About 13 FPS at 1080p on High: Control Ultimate Edition runs natively on the MacBook Air M1 (Apple M1, 7-core GPU, 8 GB). That is not smooth, but it is playable with lower settings. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Low + MetalFX Performance (about 32 FPS).
Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it

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Control Ultimate Edition FPS on MacBook Air M1 by resolution and quality
Estimate| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 19FPS | 16FPS | 13FPS | 11FPS |
| 1440p | 12FPS | 10FPS | 8FPS | 7FPS |
| 4K | 6FPS | 5FPS | 4FPS | 4FPS |
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
+ MetalFX Performance
≈ 32 FPS
Moving to 1440p High puts the MacBook Air M1 at about 8 FPS. MetalFX renders at a lower resolution and upscales, so it is the cheapest way to play at the display’s native resolution.
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.
| Resolution | Native | Quality | Balanced | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 13FPS | 17FPS | 20FPS | 23FPS |
| 1440p | 8FPS | 10FPS | 12FPS | 14FPS |
| 4K | 4FPS | 5FPS | 6FPS | 7FPS |
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 MacBook Air M1 enough for Control Ultimate Edition?
No: at 13 FPS on 1080p High it is not playable. It only reaches 30 FPS with 1080p Low + MetalFX Performance.
Too slow · 1440p 8 FPS · 4K 4 FPS
MacBook Air M1 or MacBook Neo for Control Ultimate Edition?
In Control Ultimate Edition at 1080p High, the MacBook Air M1 gets 13 FPS and the MacBook Neo 14 FPS: 8% more.
MacBook Air M1 specs

- Chip
- Apple M1
- GPU cores
- 7 / 8
- Unified memory
- 8 / 16 GB
- Cooling
- Fanless
- Geekbench Metal
- 29,497
- Tier
- Entry level · 8/100
Other Macs with the M1 chip
The Apple M1 also powers the MacBook Pro M1, the Mac mini M1, and the iMac M1. In Control Ultimate Edition, the Mac mini M1 gets 18 FPS at 1080p High, 38% more than the MacBook Air M1, mainly because its fan keeps clocks up under load.
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.
| Memory | 1080p High | 1440p High |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | 13FPS | 8FPS |
| 16 GB | 14FPS | 9FPS |
Other Macs for Control Ultimate Edition
1080p · High

MacBook Pro M1
M1 · 8 GPU
17FPSView analysis
iMac M1
M1 · 7/8 GPU
16FPSView analysis
Mac mini M1
M1 · 8 GPU
18FPSView analysis
MacBook Pro M1 Pro
M1 Pro · 14/16 GPU
35FPSView analysis
MacBook Air M2
M2 · 8/10 GPU
18FPSView analysis
Mac mini M2
M2 · 10 GPU
27FPSView analysis
Mac Studio M1 Max
M1 Max · 24/32 GPU
63FPSView analysis
MacBook Pro M2
M2 · 10 GPU
26FPSView analysis
Control Ultimate Edition on every Mac →
Shopping for an all-round gaming Mac? Mac ranking by real FPS →
Other games on the MacBook Air M1
- Hitman World of Assassination30FPS
- Lies of P38FPS
- GRID Legends37FPS
- Rise of the Tomb Raider34FPS
- Cities: Skylines44FPS
- Civilization VI44FPS
- Civilization VII38FPS
- Crusader Kings III44FPS
- Divinity: Original Sin 244FPS
- Final Fantasy XIV44FPS
Official Mac requirements
- Minimum
- Mac with Apple silicon
- Recommended
- Ray tracing requires M3 or later
Source: apps.apple.com
FAQ
Can the 8 GB MacBook Air M1 run Control Ultimate Edition?
Yes. With 8 GB we estimate 13 FPS at 1080p High.
Can Control Ultimate Edition hit 60 FPS on the MacBook Air M1?
Not consistently. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Low + MetalFX Performance (about 32 FPS).
Does the MacBook Air M1 throttle in Control Ultimate Edition?
The MacBook Air M1 has no fan. In long sessions it lowers clocks to manage heat, and our figures already account for that sustained loss, around 15% in a game this demanding.
What about 1440p and 4K?
On High, the MacBook Air M1 gets about 8 FPS at 1440p and about 4 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.









