Indiana Jones and the Great Circle bucks a frustrating Xbox Series X trend

If you care about frame rates, there's good news for Indiana Jones

(Credit: MachineGames)

• 👏 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle won’t suffer from the same issue as Starfield, Redfall and Avowed

• 🙏 It’ll launch with a 60fps mode, which will please those who want a smoother experience

• 😓 Several first-party Xbox games have only offered a 30fps mode at launch

• 📆 Indiana Jones launches for Xbox and PC on December 9 and comes to PS5 next year

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is shaping up to be one of the biggest games of the year, and its timed Xbox exclusivity is a boon for Microsoft as the holiday season approaches.

We now know the game will run at 60fps on Xbox Series X thanks to Windows Central’s interview with MachineGames creator director Axel Torvenius, which means Indy won’t suffer the same 30fps performance compromise like Starfield, Redfall and Avowed. Thankfully, Bethesda revisited both titles later to offer a 60fps option, but that might not be the case with Avowed.

Avowed, which will launch on February 18, 2025, won’t offer a 60fps mode, even though we’ve been spoiled with 60fps games and even 120fps Xbox Series X games. Obsidian’s art director Matt Hansen said: “We are targeting 30 frames per second, bare minimum,” Hansen said. “That’s the expectation.

“It’s a first-person, single-player game, you don’t necessarily need that 60 frames. And that allows us to get a lot juicier with VFX and lighting and all this other stuff.”

Contrary to Hansen’s comments, many gamers have left 30fps behind this generation, with the vast majority choosing higher, smoother frame rates over a few more visual effects. It’s one reason why Sony is launching the PS5 Pro on November 7, as the console allows higher resolutions and frame rates without sacrificing as many graphical effects.

We’ve seen several first-party Xbox games launch at 30fps, so it’s a relief that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will run at 60fps, especially as the Xbox Series X is the most powerful console on the market – at least until the PS5 Pro arrives.

It remains to be seen whether the Xbox Series S will also offer a 60fps mode for Indiana Jones, but considering the consoles’ have practically the same CPU, it should be feasible. Torvenius told Windows Central, “The ambition is that the game runs at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and that, you know, it shouldn't be compromised in the visuals or the experience of the product. It should feel cohesive, running smoothly at 60 on both."

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is available on day one to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members on December 9. The game will release on PS5 in Spring, marking yet another Xbox exclusive jumping ship to Sony’s console.

• Up next: Xenoblade Chronicles X is coming to Nintendo Switch next year

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.