Sony to require limited-time game trials for PlayStation titles priced $34 and above - report

A new report states that going forward, Sony will require some developers to create time-limited demos for any game that costs consumers $34/€33/￥4000 or higher.

This would see subscribers to PlayStation Plus Premium receiving demos of all major titles.

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According to sources speaking with Game Developer, studios creating games that are lower cost will not be required to create trials.

The report states that developers were not formally informed of the new policy, instead, the information came from an update made to Sony's developer portal.

With the new policy, this means that studios developing upcoming games will need to put forth the budget, effort, and time into creating these trials. The new requirement is not retroactive and does not apply to VR titles.

Developers will be given three months post release on the PlayStation Store to provide a timed-trial for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers, and it must remain available to users for 12 months.

Should a studio wish to creat a custom demo for the tier instead, Sony is open to the option, but such demos will need to be approved on a case-by-case basis.

Custom demos, free weekends, and limited game trial made available to all PlayStation owners can still be offered by developers.

When asked about the new policy, Sony did not respond to Game Developer as of press time.

Upon launch, PlayStation Plus Premium will include all the benefits you get with the current PlayStation Plus, as well as a library of 400 PS4 and PS5 games that can be downloaded to your consoles. It also adds classic games from PS1, PS2 and PSP, time-limited game trials, and PS3/PS4 game streaming.

This service tier will set you back $17.99/€16.99/£13.49 per month, $49.99/€49.99/£39.99 for three months, or $119.99/€119.99/£99.99 a year.

The revamped PlayStation Plus service launches June 13 in the Americas and June 22 in Europe.