Sony Testing Out Free Game Trials on PS5 in the UK

Not perfect, but hey, it's a start.

As reported by outlets like Eurogamer and IGN, Sony appears to be testing out a free trial concept on PlayStation 5. The Game Trials feature is only available in the UK as of the time of this writing and only for two games, but it’s possible it may become more widely available.

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Should that prove to be the case, it sounds like PS5 owners may be able to look forward to a nice “try before you buy” feature on select titles. 

Sony Testing Out Free Game Trials on PS5 in the UK


Photo Credit: Eurogamer

As spotted by outlets like Eurogamer, Sony is actively testing out a new feature called Game Trials. With this feature, PlayStation 5 owners can download free trials for select games.

Currently, this feature is only available in the UK and only for two games, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and Sackboy: A Big Adventure. 

The free trial offer can be found on the PlayStation Store page for both games next to the option to purchase the game. According to Eurogamer, the free trial for Death Stranding offers six hours of free playtime while Sackboy: A Big Adventure gives you five hours of free playtime. 

It’s noted that the free trial isn’t as open and flexible as it might sound. The six hours you get with Death Stranding and five hours with Sackboy aren’t in-game hours but rather hours on a countdown timer that starts counting down after you download the free trial. 

Obviously, this presents an issue as the time it takes to download these games is factored into the free trial time allotted to you. That said, being able to try out a game for free in any capacity is exciting and we hope Sony does more with this Game Trials feature as PS5 owners test it out. 

Other things in regards to Game Trials that may prove frustrating include free trials only being offered on PS5 games (sorry PS4 owners), the free trials only being available for a limited time (not just the timer, but the ones on offer are only available until October 28), and the fact you can only use the free trial option once per account. 

What’s nice though is if you decide to buy the game you’re testing out, your save data will carry over so you won’t have to start over from scratch.


Photo Credit: Eurogamer

Overall, it’s cool to hear that Sony is testing out a free trial option on select titles, and we hope this feature becomes available outside of the UK so more people can test it out for themselves.

After hearing about these free trials, we’re curious to hear your thoughts. Are you happy to hear Sony is giving consideration to free trials? Are there any things you dislike about the way Sony is doing it, like the timer starting the moment you hit download?

Let us know in the comments below, or on our social media channels including Facebook and Twitter!

Related: Sony Reverses Course on Horizon Forbidden West Upgrade Cost



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Morgan Shaver
Morgan is a writer, metalhead, horror lover, and indie game enthusiast. When it comes to games, they love nothing more than to wax poetic about all the latest and greatest indies to anyone who'll listen. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver