If you’ve got a PlayStation Plus Premium account, you can now play the first 2 hours of The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5 for free. This new membership perk coincides with the release of the first episode of HBO’s The Last of Us TV show.
As noted, this is a timed trial giving you 2 hours of play before you’ll be required to purchase the full game to continue on. Fortunately, a couple of hours should be more than enough to whet your appetite and will give you plenty of time to enjoy The Last of Us Part 1’s solid opening chapters. Plus, after purchasing the full game you can continue from where you left off which is a nice bonus.
Access to the game trial is only available to PlayStation Plus members at the Premium tier. Meaning if you’ve got an Extra or Essential account you're locked out of game trials. This feels a little stingy from Sony as game trials are just dressed-up game demos after all. Nevertheless, if you’re jonesing to (re)play The Last of Us after enjoying the first slice of HBO's new show, this trial is a great way to try before you buy.
Released last September, The Last of Us Part 1 is a ground-up remake of the PS3 original designed to take full advantage of the power of the PS5. In our The Last of Us Part 1 review, we labeled it a “jaw-dropping remake of one of the best PlayStation games of all time” and praised its compelling narrative, engrossing gameplay and spectacular visuals. Even if you’ve played the PS4 remastered version, this PS5 remake is a significant cut above.
This PlayStation Plus perk dovetails nicely with the premiere of The Last of Us on HBO over the weekend (Sunday, Jan. 15). The show has received overwhelming critical acclaim, with our own reviewer being equally impressed. They called it a “front-runner for the best video game adaptation ever” alongside being a “fantastic series about life in a post-apocalyptic world.” It's a clear frontrunner for the best new show of 2023, and a must-watch for even moderate fans of the original video game.
