Steam announces ton of free downloads for some of 2023's biggest games

It’s no secret that gaming is a pricey hobby. With each console generation that passes, game prices just keep seeming to go up, so it’s more important than ever to try before you buy.

For a while, game demos fell out of fashion, but Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, and Nintendo all appear to be realising that they’re more important than ever. We’ve seen a number of games released in questionable states this year. The Last of Us Part I’s PC port could barely run, and some users had a hard time playing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor without experiencing crashes or framerate drops. When you’re spending up to £70 on a game, you at least expect it to work. Demos are great because they allow you to, as I said, try out a game before you part with your cash so if you’re a savvy shopper, you may want to add Steam’s Next Fest to your calendar. The October edition has officially been announced.

Starfield is just one of this year’s major releases which is due to release without a demo.

It’s been confirmed that the next Steam Next Fest will be held in October from 9 to 16 of the month. The multi-day celebration of upcoming games includes access to “hundreds of demos”, while developers will hold a number of livestreams allowing you to learn more about certain featured releases. The full line-up of games included is yet to be announced, but seeing as there are “hundreds” of demos, there’s certain to be a bit of something for everyone.

You should expect to see a number of major titles included. The previous edition of Next Fest was held in June and that included access to demos of Lies of P, Viewfinder, Warhaven, Sea of Stars, Jusant, and Little Kitty, Big City. Almost all of the games I’ve just mentioned featured in at least one showcase across Summer Game Fest, so I’m keen to see what recognisable titles will crop up in this next edition.

The event kicks off at 10 AM PT on 9 October, and you can head over to the event’s homepage to set a reminder. You’ve only got one week to dive into all of those demos. Don’t let the time go to waste.