Subnautica vs Control Ultimate Edition
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Subnautica
Explore a vast alien ocean planet, craft equipment, pilot submarines, and uncover mysteries to survive. This open-world adventure offers multiple game modes for different playstyles.
- Underwater exploration
- Crafting and base building
- Submarine piloting
- Survival mechanics
- Multiple game modes
- Alien ocean planet setting
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*Make sure to check if your device is supported before playing Subnautica!* Subnautica is an underwater adventure game set on an alien ocean planet. A massive, open world full of wonder and peril awaits you! Descend into the depths, craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more - all while trying to survive. Unravel the mystery of this world teeming with creatures, both friendly and hostile, scattered with clues from a previous time. Play in Survival mode to experience the original challenge, or switch to Freedom or Creative mode to discover this oceanic planet without the pressures of thirst, hunger, or oxygen. FEATURES • SURVIVE - After crash landing on a vast underwater planet, the clock is ticking to find water, food, and to develop the equipment you need to explore. • EXPLORE - Manage your hunger, thirst, and oxygen supply as you dive into towering kelp forests, sunlit plateaus, bio-luminescent reefs, and winding cave systems. • SCAVENGE - Collect resources from the ocean around you. Venture deeper and further to find rarer resources, allowing you to craft more advanced items. • CRAFT - Build bases to shelter in, vehicles to pilot, tools for survival to aid you in navigating and adapting to this subaquatic landscape. • DISCOVER - What happened to this planet? What caused you to crash? Can you find a way to make it off the planet alive? • CUSTOMIZE - Play in Survival mode to experience the original challenge, or switch to Freedom or Creative mode to discover this oceanic planet without the pressures of thirst, hunger, or oxygen. CAREFULLY REDESIGNED FOR MOBILE • Revamped interface – exclusive mobile UI with complete touch control • Game Center achievements • Cloud Save – Share your progress between iOS devices • Compatible with MFi controllers • iPhone 16 Optimization (including Pro Max) ----- *DEVICES NOT SUPPORTED (THE GAME WON'T WORK)*: - iPhone Xr, iPhone SE Gen 2 (2020) - iPad Mini Gen 5, iPad Air Gen 3, iPad Gen 8, iPad Gen 9 *SUPPORTED DEVICES ON LOW RESOLUTION ONLY*: - iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone SE Gen 3 (2022) - iPad Pro 10.5", iPad Mini Gen 6, iPad Air Gen 4, iPad Gen 10, iPad Pro 11" Gen 1, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 3 *SUPPORTED DEVICES* : - iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 AND ABOVE - iPad Pro 11" Gen 2, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 4, iPad Air Gen 5, iPad Pro 11" Gen 3, iPad Pro 11" Gen 4, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 5, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 6 AND ABOVE
Control Ultimate Edition
Engage in a supernatural third-person action-adventure where you wield telekinetic powers and transforming weaponry to combat an ominous enemy. Explore a secretive government agency, uncover its dark secrets, and fight for control to save humanity.
- Supernatural combat
- Transforming weaponry
- Telekinetic powers
- Uncover mysteries
- Explore hidden world
- Challenging boss fights
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A corruptive presence has invaded the Federal Bureau of Control… Only you have the power to stop it. The world is now your weapon in an epic fight to annihilate an ominous enemy through deep and unpredictable environments. Containment has failed, humanity is at stake. Will you regain control? Winner of over 80 awards, CONTROL is a visually stunning third-person action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Blending open-ended environments with the signature world-building and storytelling of renowned developer, Remedy Entertainment, CONTROL presents an expansive and intensely gratifying gameplay experience. CONTROL Ultimate Edition has now been adapted to iOS. We have implemented touch controls and made changes to the in-game UI and game mechanics, like aiming and puzzles to provide a great experience for supported touch devices. The game renders beautifully through Metal and supports Ray Tracing on supported hardware. Key features UNCOVER THE MYSTERIES: Can you handle the bureau’s dark secrets? Unfold an epic supernatural struggle, filled with unexpected characters and bizarre events, as you search for your missing brother, and discover the truth that has brought you here. EVERYTHING IS YOUR WEAPON: Unleash destruction through transforming weaponry and telekinetic powers. Discover new ways to annihilate your enemies as you harness powerful abilities to turn everything around you into a lethal weapon. EXPLORE A HIDDEN WORLD: Delve deep into the ominous expanses of a secretive government agency. Explore the Bureau’s shifting environments only to discover that there is always more than meets the eye… FIGHT FOR CONTROL: Battle a relentless enemy through exciting missions and challenging boss fights to earn powerful upgrades that maximize abilities and customize your weaponry. CONTROL Ultimate Edition on iOS supports the following MetalFX features: MetalFX TAAU - Temporal Anti-Aliasing and upscaling MetalFX Frame Interpolation Ray-Tracing is supported on devices with M3+ or A19 Pro with 10Gb of memory.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Subnautica at 4.6 against Control Ultimate Edition's 4.1. Subnautica also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 63%) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 356). Control Ultimate Edition's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Subnautica costs $9.99 and Control Ultimate Edition $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Subnautica holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 356 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Subnautica's written reviews are positive against 63% of Control Ultimate Edition's.
Subnautica ships an update every 8 days, Control Ultimate Edition every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Subnautica | Control Ultimate Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.2K ratings) — better | 4.1 (356 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 82.0% of reviews — better | 62.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 356 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #19 — better | #23 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2.2 GB | 570 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | +17 |
| Developer | Unknown Worlds | Remedy Entertainment PLC |
Customer experience
Subnautica
Control Ultimate Edition
Bugs and requests
Subnautica
Reported bugs
2 issues- Sound cuts out after using the seaglide
- Reapers and ghost leviathans not spawning properly
Requested features
2 requests- Support for iPad and Mac devices
- Improved integration with iOS features
Control Ultimate Edition
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Subnautica
No in-app purchases
Control Ultimate Edition
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Subnautica free?
Is Control Ultimate Edition free?
Which has better reviews, Subnautica or Control Ultimate Edition?
Do Subnautica or Control Ultimate Edition have ads?
Which is updated more often, Subnautica or Control Ultimate Edition?
Which is more popular, Subnautica or Control Ultimate Edition?
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