Valve has introduced a new feature in its Steam client, offering 90-minute free trials for games, starting with the Dead Space remake. This trial period is available until May 29 and also adds a 20% price reduction for the game.
With the 90-minute time trial of the Dead Space remake, players have the opportunity to begin a new game, experience the USG Ishimura, and make significant progress in Chapter 1: New Arrivals. Within the allotted time, players are free to explore the abandoned space station as much as they desire.
Note that demos have already existed on Steam for a long time, but those are typically far more limited or don’t let you play for as much as 90 minutes.
Valve’s introduction of its first extended game trial paves the way for numerous high-budget PC games to adopt a similar approach. Previously, the only option for users to test games on the platform was to make a purchase, relying on a two-hour window for refunds if the game did not meet their expectations or performed poorly.
The addition of this new feature does not come as a surprise, considering the mixed reception for recent major releases on Steam, such as Star Wars: Jedi Survivor and The Last of Us: Part 1. While these games are highly regarded, their PC performance fell short, resulting in a “Mixed” rating and a substantial number of negative reviews citing performance issues.
Introducing a 90-minute game trial for titles like these offers an opportunity to dive into these experiences and judge their visual and performance aspects on your own system, all without betting any money.
If more EA games adopt this approach, we may witness the launch of consumer-friendly experiences like F1 2023 and Immortals of Aveum, enabling players to explore these titles before committing to a purchase.
