If you haven't yet, follow us on X (Twitter), Mastodon, or Bluesky to know when we post new articles, and join our Reddit or Subscribe to us on YouTube to check out our content and interact with our awesome community. Thank you for supporting us!
Ever since it was announced, I had been looking forward to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's release. The game looks phenomenal, and seeing a younger Indiana Jones brought back a lot of fond memories. I was also hopeful that, even though this looked like a very gorgeous game, there would be enough optimization to get it running decently on the Steam Deck. Sadly, it doesn't appear to be the case, and it may be hard to run on all handhelds.
Earlier today, Bethesda announced the minimum PC requirements for the game in a blog post, and they are quite heavy. Honestly, it looks like the most demanding game I have seen in a long time, and it's going to be a tough one on a lot of computers:
The biggest takeaways to see if the game will be playable on the Steam Deck are Processor, Memory, Graphics, and the additional notes. Per the requirements sheet, for the minimum requirements, we would need:
- Processor - Intel Core i7 10700k or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- Memory - 16GB RAM
- Graphics (GPU) - NVIDIA GeForce RTX2060 Super 8GB or AMD Radeon RX 6600 8GB
- Additional Notes - Graphics Preset: Low / Resolution 1080p (Native) / Target FPS: 60
Now, I usually like to air on the positive side. If I can conceivably think of a possibility to get the game running, I will keep that in mind, but even though the minimum requirements focuses on 1080p resolution with a 60 FPS target, I just don't think it will be playable.
Even with a target of 60 FPS and 1080p, the game is still asking for a GPU that is significantly more powerful than the Steam Deck or really any handheld. The Steam Deck's GPU equivalent is around the NVIDIA 1050 Ti, so I decided to compare the two on UserBenchmarks and Technical City. Both of which have the 2060 Super performing around 150%-160% better. I can't conceivably think of a way to bridge that gap in power, even with reductions in resolution and using upscaling. I would also not likely recommend frame generation, as it could introduce lag and stuttery gameplay if it can't hit 60 FPS.
I do have a little more faith for the more powerful handhelds, especially the ROG Ally X. The Z1 Extreme and 7840U/8840U APUs are more powerful and might be able to run Indiana Jones at a minimum, but pushing the device to the limit. I have a bit more faith in the ROG Ally X due to the 24GB RAM and the more expensive AYANEO, GPD, and OneX devices with 32GB RAM, but it will probably need to be played at 720p.
I am excited to play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, but I have little faith that it will be a good portable experience. I still plan to test it regardless, and we will have impressions as soon as possible, but unfortunately, I don't have much faith in enjoying it on the go.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle can be purchased on Steam for $69.99, but you can get it for $58.79 off of Fanatical before it releases.
The Fanatical links above are using an affiliate link, which gives us a little back from sales at no extra charge to you. All proceeds go back into SDHQ and its development.
If you enjoyed this article, check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that will help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got you covered!
RECENT NEWS
Categories
Recent Tips & GUIDES
recent reviews
What you have to realize is it looks like there's barely any optimization going on for this game at all. MachineGames DEI-finitely has a weaker staff now than they did a decade ago (says a lot since I thought they were heavily overrated back then). I expect this game to be strong in its targeting for modern audiences and very weak in good gameplay, and this joke of a specsheet seems to prove that point. From what I have seen, I know college kids who could optimize this better
I see no reason to bring DEI into the equation or how it will target modern audiences. However, I do hope that it's more optimized on release. I am not a fan of developers relying on upscaling or frame generation to hit targets.
Then you aren't paying attention Noah. When gender, race, or sexual practices are more important than talent, knowledge, and drive, then you end up with a far worse product.
What's your explanation for the abysmal optimization?
Definitely not gender, race, or sexual practices. Can you show me instances of that in Indiana Jones and proof that their "DEI staff" is to blame? And for a counter point, Alan Wake 2 asks for DLSS/FSR 2 in its specs, which I would consider not really optimizing a game. I don't see how that one could have the issues you are bringing up, so why wasn't it optimized more to not be asking for DLSS/FSR?
As I already stated, when those factors are more important than the ones I mentioned (talent, knowledge, drive, ect) the product suffers across the board. That includes how it runs. So yes, they actually are a factor in the games poor optimization standards.
Obviously Indiana Jones isn't out yet (though outlets like PCGamer haven't been kind in their previews), statements about how the game has been built for "modern audiences" and how DEI has factored into their hiring policies, it doesn't look good at all.
Plus people are just tired of their favorite franchises getting crapped on by Christophobic/Islamophobic bigots.
Can we just ban you anti-woke outrage tourists? It makes it a shitty experience to even look at comment sections here with people like this.
1. I guarantee I've been using this site longer than you tourist.
2. Once you stop the censorship it becomes pretty apparent a lot more people think like me than like you. People want to be hired based on talent, not on bedroom kinks.
3. One of the reasons I use this site is because (AFAIK) they can take criticism and don't shut down people for "wrong think". If opposing opinions is threatening to you, maybe you would be happier on bluesky or reddit?
So... which genders and races is it you think don't have talent?