A new time-limited trial for a major Sony first-party game has been added to the Premium tier of PlayStation Plus. In addition to the massive catalog of PS5 and PS4 games available to PS Plus Extra users, Premium subscribers get access to a few new features at a higher price point.
Along with the ability to stream PS3 games, PS Plus Premium members can play from a selection of PS1, PS2, and PSP titles. They can also download time-limited trials for some games, allowing subscribers to play for them for a set duration, usually ranging from one to five hours depending upon the title. Sony has now added a new trial for a massive first-party PS5 game that came out in 2022.
The game in question is The Last of Us Part 1, and PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can play it for two hours at no extra cost. The Last of Us Part 1 is a full remake of the original PS3 game, and it brings the gameplay more in line with the improvements found in The Last of Us Part 2. In addition, The Last of Us Part 1 features a graphics overhaul, with a lot of attention given to the character models.
The original The Last of Us is one of Sony’s most critically acclaimed games, and while the remake received high scores, it was unable to match the standards set by the first game and its sequel. Its high cost of $70 was a major talking point among critics and fans, with some users stating that the improvements did not seem worth the asking price. As The Last of Us already has a remastered version on PS4 with an option for 60 FPS gameplay, some players felt that it didn’t need an overhaul, as the resources could have been spent on full remakes of older Naughty Dog games.
Regardless, PS Plus Premium members that were on the fence about The Last of Us Part 1 can now try it out and get a hands-on experience of the improvements made to the game. The trial for The Last of Us Part 1 is only two hours long, but the duration varies depending on the type of game and its publisher. As an example, open-world RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Forbidden West both allow gamers to download five-hour-long trials, while other titles only let users play for an hour or two.
The Last of Us Part 1 is out now on PS5, with a PC version coming on March 3, 2023.