Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was one of the best Xbox Series X and best PC games released last year. We gave Bethesda’s take on the iconic franchise a glowing review, and I personally had a blast playing it on my gaming PC. Now, the game is finally available on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
While PlayStation players will get the same core experience as on Xbox Series X, they’ll be treated to some PS5 and PS5 Pro-specific enhancements. This includes native 4K resolution, smoother performance and DualSense controller features.
If you’re a PS5 or PS5 Pro owner and didn’t get to play this game before, you’re in for a big treat. It's now one of the best PS5 games.
Here are 3 reasons why Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is better on PS5 than on Xbox.
Native 4K resolution and ray tracing
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was always visually stunning, but it looks noticeably sharper and smoother on PS5 Pro.
Unlike other PS5 Pro-enhanced games, this title doesn’t force you to choose between Performance and Fidelity modes. Instead, it delivers native 4K resolution the instant you boot it up. This means you don’t have to spend time fiddling with graphical options. You can just play the game.
The Great Circle looks phenomenal at 4K resolution, but it also has other graphical enhancements like advanced ray tracing—a feature also present on the standard PS5 edition. This feature is evident almost from the start, as you get to see impressive ray-traced reflections on the glass shelves in Indiana Jones’ college museum.
Global illumination also helps you feel like you’re in the middle of the jungle during the opening sequence, which is a playable version of the intro in Raiders of the Lost Ark. I took my time during this part so I could better admire the dynamic lighting and colorful flora around me. Every environment employs equally rich visual flair.
Smooth performance
Sony says Indiana Jones and the Great Circle runs at a stable 60 frames per second. I don’t have a frame counter for PS5 Pro, but to my eyes, the game certainly runs buttery smooth.
I didn’t see a dip in frame rates, even when running for my life to avoid being crushed by a giant boulder. The same is true whenever I engaged in one-on-one battles against foes or swung across precarious terrain with my trusty whip. You want steady frame rates during action sequences, and based on my experience, this game doesn’t disappoint.
Sony also says the game benefits from frictionless loading and SSD optimization to ensure faster streaming and loading. I won’t disagree there, as load times are indeed fast. In fact, they seem even faster than on my PC, which also has an SSD. I also didn’t notice any texture pop-in like I sometimes would on the Steam version.
DualSense features
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5 doesn’t just get visual and performance updates, but some neat features for the console’s DualSense controller.
Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers do their part to draw you into the action. Having the controller rumble in your hands during a cave collapse and feeling resistance as you tug on your whip to pull yourself up a ledge makes the game feel even more exciting. Smashing a wooden guitar or other blunt objects on a bad guy’s head is also a blast thanks to these DualSense features.
The controller’s lightbar also gets utilized to great effect. For instance, the LED light around the touchpad turns and pulses yellow when enemies are searching for you. The light turns red when your health is low and turns green when you eat food or use a bandage. The latter effect only lasts a few seconds, but it’s still very useful.
Bottom line
Though Indiana Jones and the Great Circle isn’t a new game, it’s still worth it for PS5 players to see what their Xbox and PC player counterparts have enjoyed since last December. And as I've outlined, you’ll actually get the best version available on consoles thanks to all the new features and enhancements.
If you’re a fan of games like Uncharted and Tomb Raider, then this is an adventure worth pursuing.
More from Tom's Guide
- PS5 Pro vs PS5: The 4 biggest upgrades
- These are the best PS5 games you can play right now
- PS5 vs Xbox Series X: What should you buy?
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