Does Strong PS5 Sales Mean Indiana Jones Cracked the Top 15 Most Played Games? The Answer Might Surprise You

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrived on PlayStation 5 with a bullwhip crack heard across the gaming landscape. After its initial release on Xbox and PC, the iconic archaeologist’s latest adventure finally swung onto Sony’s console in April 2025, and sales figures suggest players eagerly followed. Early data paints a picture of robust sales performance on the PS5, even outpacing the game’s debut on Steam. Yet, despite this commercial success, a look at the most recent player activity rankings reveals a different story: Indiana Jones isn’t currently swinging in the top 15 most played games on the platform.

Numbers don’t lie, and the sales numbers for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PlayStation 5 are undeniably strong. Reports from market analysts like Alinea Analytics indicate that in its first week alone on the PS5, the game sold an estimated 117,200 copies. This figure is particularly noteworthy as it surpasses the 91,200 units sold on Steam during its comparable launch window back in December 2024. It’s selling 28% faster on PS5 compared to its initial pace on Valve’s PC platform.

This surge in sales on a new platform, months after its initial release, highlights the enduring appeal of the Indiana Jones franchise and the significant appetite among PlayStation players for this type of cinematic action-adventure game. Analysts suggest that had the PS5 version launched simultaneously with the Xbox and PC versions, its sales could have been even higher, benefiting from the initial marketing push. The game even topped the US sales charts for the week ending April 19, 2025, marking its first time at number one. This demonstrates a clear demand and a successful commercial launch on the PlayStation platform.

The strong sales figures are a win for Bethesda and MachineGames, especially considering the game was a day-one addition to Xbox Game Pass. While Microsoft reported that over 5 million players had tried the game on Xbox, the overwhelming majority accessed it through the subscription service rather than purchasing it outright. The healthy sales on PS5, where players are buying the game individually, underscore the continued viability of the traditional sales model, even for titles available on subscription services elsewhere. It seems many PlayStation owners were simply waiting for the opportunity to own the game on their preferred console.

However, translating sales success into consistent, high player engagement is a different ballgame. While Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is selling well, it hasn’t yet captured the massive, sustained daily or monthly active player counts needed to break into the top echelon of the most played games on PlayStation 5.

Looking at available data for player activity on PS5, the landscape is dominated by perennial giants and popular live-service titles. According to a Newzoo report covering February 2025 (the most recent comprehensive data available for top played games by monthly active users), the top ranks were held by games like Fortnite, the Call of Duty series (Modern Warfare II/III/Warzone/Black Ops 6), Grand Theft Auto V, EA Sports FC 25, Roblox, and Minecraft. These titles consistently command enormous player bases who log in regularly, often daily, due to their competitive nature, ongoing content updates, and social features.

Other games frequently appearing in or near the top 15 most played lists include titles like Rocket League, Apex Legends, and Valorant (though platform-specific breakdowns can vary, these games have significant console populations). Even single-player focused games that maintain high engagement, like those that receive regular updates, have strong multiplayer components, or are part of subscription catalogs that encourage trying new titles, tend to stay higher in the rankings.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, while a critically well-regarded single-player narrative adventure, is a different kind of experience. Players typically finish the main story and explore its content within a certain timeframe, leading to a peak in initial engagement that naturally tapers off compared to games designed for continuous play. While player count data specifically for PS5 in late April 2025 is not readily available in detailed, ranked format, the nature of Indiana Jones as a primarily single-player experience suggests its active player count, while significant immediately after launch, would likely not reach the persistent numbers of the top live-service and multiplayer giants that dominate the most played charts.

The games that consistently sit in the top 15 on PS5 often have features that drive long-term retention:

• Multiplayer Modes: Games like Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Rocket League thrive on their competitive and cooperative multiplayer experiences, encouraging players to return repeatedly.
• Live Service Elements: Ongoing content updates, seasonal events, and battle passes in games like Genshin Impact and Fortnite keep players invested over extended periods.
• Massive Open Worlds with Endless Activities: Titles like Grand Theft Auto V and Minecraft offer vast sandboxes with nearly limitless possibilities for exploration and creation, leading to sustained engagement.
• Strong Community and Social Features: Games with robust online communities foster a sense of connection and provide reasons for players to log in and interact.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, while offering a compelling adventure, does not fit neatly into these categories of persistent engagement drivers. Its strength lies in its cinematic story and exploration, experiences typically consumed over a finite period.

This isn’t a negative reflection on the quality or success of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Its strong sales on PS5 demonstrate a successful launch on the platform and a clear demand for high-quality single-player adventures. It proves that even in a market increasingly influenced by live-service games and subscriptions, there’s still a significant audience willing to purchase and enjoy a well-crafted, story-driven experience.

The disconnect between high sales and appearing in the top most played rankings highlights the different metrics by which game success can be measured. Sales indicate initial purchasing interest and market demand, while player count reflects ongoing engagement and time spent within the game. Indiana Jones has clearly succeeded in the former on PS5. While it may not be among the games players are spending hundreds or thousands of hours in, its strong sales indicate it’s a game many PlayStation owners wanted and are likely experiencing.

For fans of the adventurous archaeologist, the game’s strong sales performance on PS5 is positive news. It signals that there is a hungry market for Indiana Jones games on the platform, potentially paving the way for future installments or related content. While it might not be a permanent fixture in the top 15 most played, its successful arrival on PS5 is a notable event for the franchise and for single-player gaming enthusiasts. It shows that sometimes, a focused, captivating adventure is exactly what players are looking for, even if they aren’t playing it endlessly.