The best PS5 game of the year just got a free PlayStation Plus trial before Black Friday

An image taken from Baldur's Gate 3
(Image credit: Larian)

PS5 gamers have access to a range of money-saving discounts with Black Friday PS5 deals heating up this week, but my favorite PS5 promotion right now won’t cost you a single penny if you’re already a PlayStation Plus Premium member. 

Subscribers at the Premium tier of PlayStation Plus now have access to a two-hour free trial of Baldur’s Gate 3. This exclusive trial gives you 120 minutes of playtime in the critically acclaimed RPG, and if you like what you see, your progress will carry over to the full game (Sadly the full game is not a part of the PlayStation Store Black Friday sale). 

Released on Windows in August, before coming to PlayStation a month later in September, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a frontrunner for Game of the Year at the upcoming Game Awards 2023 and one of the most critically acclaimed games released in 2023. It boasts a remarkable 96 score on Metacritic (the joint highest of the year) and a 99% recommendation rate on OpenCritic.

The epic RPG lets you control a diverse party of characters as you explore a vast fantasy land. Baldur's Gate 3 been praised for its deep tactical combat and its rich decision-driven storytelling. 

However, it should be noted that the two hours featured in the free trial is merely a drop in the ocean of the overall adventure. Baldur’s Gate 3 offers more than 100 hours of gameplay for thorough players. This trial should be considered just a small taster — don’t expect to make any significant progress before the two-hour window is up. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t the only game that’s just received a new PlayStation Plus trial either. The Lord of the Rings Gollum can now also be sampled for an hour. However, as I noted in my Lord of the Rings Gollum review, it’s one of the worst games on the PS5 right now, and after just a few minutes you’ll understand why I labeled it “an unwelcome throwback to the days when licensed games were synonymous with low quality.” It’s hard to understand why the game’s publisher has decided to let players try out a game that received such poor reviews. 

These trials are only available to PlayStation Plus subscribers on the Premium plan. But if you’re an Essential/Extra member, Sony is currently running a Black Friday deal that lets you upgrade to a higher tier for the remainder of your subscription at a reduced cost. While I wouldn’t advise upgrading just for this new Baldur’s Gate 3 trial it's a great perk if you were previously considering it or have Premium already. 

More from Tom's Guide

Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

Read more
PlayStation Plus
Quick! Sony Presidents' Day sale takes up to $60 off a year of PlayStation Plus
Stellar Blade screenshot
PlayStation's massive holiday sale just got bigger with PS5 games from $4 — here's my 15 favorite deals
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
PlayStation sale slices best PS5 games by up to 80% — here’s 17 deals from $5 I’d buy now
Astro Bot screenshot
PlayStation launches epic new sale with the best PS5 games from $4 —here’s 17 deals I’d buy
Best games of 2022: God of War Ragnarök
The best PS5 games in 2025
A screenshot from Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart with a Tom's Guide deal tag
First PlayStation Store sale of 2025 has PS5 games from $3 — here’s 17 deals I’d buy now
Latest in Playstation
The PlayStation Portal on a counter with the start screen for Horizon Forbidden West
PlayStation Portal just got upgraded cloud streaming features — here’s what’s new
God of War Ragnarok
PlayStation’s epic March sale is live with PS5 games from $3 — here’s 17 deals I’d buy
Horizon Forbidden West on PC
AI-powered PlayStation characters are being tested at Sony — what we know
The Last of Us Part I screenshot with a Tom's Guide deal tag
PlayStation launches new sale with big discounts on essential PS5 games — here’s my 17 favorite deals from $2
PS VR2 headset with PS VR2 Sense controllers
PlayStation VR2 getting a $200 price drop in March — is it worth buying now?
The PlayStation logo on a PS5 Pro
Ex-Sony executive predicts the PS6 will arrive in 2028 — what you need to know
Latest in News
nyc spring day AI image
OpenAI just unveiled new ChatGPT image generator powered by Sora — here's what you can do now
WWDC logo on yellow background
Apple WWDC 2025 date set for June 9 — iOS 19, Apple Intelligence and more expected
Motorola Razr Plus 2024 cover display
Motorola Razr Plus (2025) leaked specs hint at bigger upgrades — here's what we know
(L-R) Yura Borisov as Igor, Mark Eydelshteyn as Vanya, Karren Karagulian as Toros and Mikey Madison as Anora "Ani" Mikheeva in "Anora"
Hulu top 10 movies — here's what you need to stream right now
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 — industry insider just tipped release month and launch plans
Disney Plus logo
Disney Plus upgrade just fixed one of my biggest problems with the home page