Roughly a year ago, Microsoft began its initiative to roll out first-party Xbox titles to other platforms. Rumors were rife with all the big games coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, and while Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves were notable, there was some disappointment over the titles that didn’t make it. However, within a few months, the overall sentiment changed – suddenly, nothing was off the table for Microsoft and it proved so by announcing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for PS5.
Sure, it would launch several months after the PC and Xbox Series X/S versions, but the quantum shift had finally occurred. Cue the announcement of Forza Horizon 5 and the resurgence of rumors around titles like Starfield, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and more. PS5 players could finally experience franchises restricted to Xbox for years and, in some cases, decades.
However, now that the Great Circle is almost here, launching on April 17th for Sony’s console, how does this version compare to other platforms?
Let’s get this out of the way immediately – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a gorgeous game. Developed on a fork of id Tech 7, it looked utterly gorgeous on PC and Xbox Series X when it launched, even with some players facing issues with the former’s system requirements at launch. Does all that visual splendor carry over to PS5? How about the performance?
Thankfully, as with other Xbox releases on PS5, the Great Circle is an excellent port. There are some notable things to nitpick with the visuals, which can still be seen on the PC and Xbox Series X versions. Nevertheless, this is a great-looking game out of the box and the performance is rock-solid.
The latter is notable primarily because Indiana Jones and the Great Circle runs at dynamic 4K resolution and targets 60 frames per second. The biggest attraction is the implementation of ray-traced global illumination and the results are truly exceptional. Indirect lighting naturally illuminates indoor locations, be it in buildings or caves, and the resulting shadows are sharp. Even if the resolution shifts during heavier scenes, the overall image quality and pixel count remain fairly high.
Considering many other developers have struggled to deliver excellent visual fidelity and solid performance while implementing ray tracing, the Great Circle is definitely a stand-out. I have no idea how MachineGames optimized it to such an incredible extent on consoles, but that carries over to PS5 with nary a hitch.
How do the console versions measure up to each other? For that matter, does the PS5 version beat out the Xbox Series X, when compared to the PC version, or are they more or less on the same page? Let’s find out.
PS5 vs. Xbox Series X
As you might have guessed by now, the differences are negligible. Such is the porting work that you’d be hard-pressed to notice many differences between the game on either console. The frame rate stays at a near-constant 60 frames per second during gameplay – some very minor drops can be observed rarely, but they hardly impact the overall flow. Loading times are also fairly similar – once you’ve chosen your settings and default difficulty, the transition to gameplay is nearly instant. Quitting to the main menu and resuming a save is seamless and takes no time on both platforms.
Perhaps the most notable blemish is the pop-in, with some shadows and a few assets loading as you get closer. The overall draw distance and level of detail are still extremely impressive on consoles, and some may be hard-pressed to notice it during the more intense sequences. It’s during the exploration sequences, like walking through the jungle in the Prologue and venturing into the ruins or running around the larger open maps, that it becomes noticeable. Once again, it’s far from a deal-breaker – you’re still guaranteed immense amounts of fidelity backed by incredible performance.
PS5 vs. PC
It’s here the dynamic resolution vs. native 4K comparison becomes more noticeable. First off, our test rig consists of an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, and 32 GB of RAM. For the settings, we set almost everything to the highest settings wherever applicable, be it Supreme or Ultra (though Volumetrics Quality is limited to Medium). Nvidia DLSS is employed and set to Quality Mode, with Dynamic Resolution not enabled.
Needless to say, the PC version is the clear winner. Though some very minor frame drops are noticeable in certain areas, it stuck to 60 frames per second for most of our hands-on time while delivering a crisp resolution and excellent image quality. Some pop-in issues were still noticeable at times but didn’t hamper the experience.
Though the dynamic resolution puts the PS5 (and, by extension, the Xbox Series X) version at a disadvantage, it’s only really apparent when directly matched up against a native 4K image like this. Otherwise, you’d be hard-pressed to notice any earth-shattering differences in visual fidelity. Which is a good thing, mind you.
Another note on the PC version – despite not meeting the requirements for all Supreme/Ultra settings, it still offered an incredible visual experience. It speaks to MachineGames’ optimization in this regard, and though your mileage may vary, you’re still assured of excellent fidelity and performance.
Conclusion
However, the best part about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is that, besides being an excellent game, you’re not forced to choose a version (though maybe avoid playing on Xbox Series S). It performs well on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC, balancing stellar performance with a nearly-locked 60 frames per second with incredible graphical quality that makes id Tech 7 shine. That it’s able to achieve all this with ray-traced global illumination enabled and sticking reasonably close to 4K on consoles makes it a technical marvel in many ways.
Beyond the technical aspects, the Great Circle is notable for its art direction and cinematic presentation. The shot-for-shot remake of the opening for Raiders in the Prologue, the sheer visual splendor of locations like Egypt and the Himalayas – it’s a treat for fans of the franchise and action-adventure titles alike. Even in places with differing weather conditions like snowfall and rain, MachineGames is showing off with the sheer amount of detail that it stuffs into scenes.
However, above all else, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a phenomenal game that’s faithful to the character and atmosphere of the films. It’s nostalgic yet stylized, incorporating that trademark Indy kitsch and charm while delivering a fun, original story with plenty of adventure, puzzle-solving, and mystery. If you haven’t played it on Xbox Series X or PC, there’s never been a better time now that it’s finally coming to PS5.
