Steam Introduces 90-Minute Game Trials; Dead Space is the First to Offer a Trial

Valve is constantly updating Steam to enable new games, new features, and new tools for players and sellers alike. The Steam Deck’s one such case, forgoing the need for a laptop to take your library everywhere with you. And as of earlier today, there seems to be another such feature in the works.

Game demos and game trials slightly differ; Demos usually have a small slice of the game so players can experience it before they buy it (see the Street Fighter 6 Demo). Comparatively, game trials are the entire game, but you have a specific allotted time window to play before you’re forced to either buy it or uninstall it. Nintendo’s done the latter before with games like ARMS, for example. Now, Game trials are a thing on Steam, allowing users to check out whether or not their future purchase will be worth it.

The first game that will have a 90-minute trial will be, as shown below, the fabled Dead Space Remake.

Steam is now offering game trials. Dead Space remake has a 90 minute free game trial https://t.co/Wa5da1PX3s pic.twitter.com/4hUqVyy16O

— Wario64 (@Wario64) May 15, 2023

Thanks to Steam Game Trials you can play 90 minutes of the applicable game for free before you’ll be asked to purchase the game. A bit short, but it allows players to see the opening and take control of Isaac Clarke as he first enters the USS Ishimura. Beyond that, players will have to purchase the game to proceed further.

Accessing the Dead Space free game trial is as simple as finding the game on the Steam Store and selecting the button labeled “Try Dead Space – Free Trial.” The store page will tell you how much time you’re allotted (excluding the time taken to install it). And considering that a high-profile game such as this was the first one, it begs the question; what will wind up being next?

What makes this even better is that, in the event you do purchase the game, it’s currently on sale at a 20% discount on Steam until May 29th, 2023 (about $47.99 USD). It’s unclear if this game trial is available to EA Play members, though. It should also be pretty obvious, but PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S users will not be able to access this free trial. The sale price is also unavailable on other platforms, as well.

We’ll continue to update as more information on Dead Space (2023), including new updates, DLC, sales, and more. Dead Space (2023) is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and EA’s own launcher.