PlayStation Plus subscribers 'aren't bothering' to download latest freebie

PlayStation Plus premium subscribers can play a free trial of Hogwarts Legacy, for a measly 45 minutes.

That’s right if you’re subscribed to the Premium tier of PlayStation Plus you can download and play the first 45 minutes of Hogwarts Legacy, with fans simultaneously agreeing that it simply isn’t enough.

Hogwarts Legacy has a very lengthy opening, with the first two hours consisting of character customisation, getting to grips with the story, and a lot of tutorials. 45 minutes barely gives you enough time to experience anything the game has to offer, and you won’t even make it to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in that time.

Reddit user nutty-one pointed out the disappointing demo time in a post saying: “As per title. I’m quite liking the range of game trials if I’m honest. Nice little bonus for newer games. Hogwarts however is only 45 mins lol!”

Players who’ve already experienced everything the game has to offer slammed the shortened trial time, with the majority agreeing that at least two hours would be needed to get an idea of what the game is like and where it’d be right for the player.

“Man 45 minutes in nothing in that game. If you speed run it you might just be getting to the castle. Not sure if the tutorial would sell me on the game if I was on the fence. They should’ve definitely made it at least 2 hours.”

“Ouch. They really couldn't do better than 45 min? I bought the game and it's awesome but in 45 minutes you've barely scratched the surface of the surface. Better than nothing, but not by much considering the heaps of walkthrough vids out there.”

“The intro is arguably the worst part of the game and in 45 minutes you'll have barely had any actual gameplay and are like 2 hours away from Hogwarts.

“These bozos would likely dissuade people from buying it if they were on the fence if anything else”

This is actually a stark contrast to other trial lengths the premium tier offers, which tend to range anywhere from 1-5 hours depending on the game. For example, The Last Of Us Part 1 has a fair 2-hour trial limit, which gives you enough time to soak in the story and become familiar with the core gameplay. Open-world titles like Horizon: Forbidden West and Cyberpunk 2077 have a more generous 5-hour trial limit, which not only gives you a chance to follow tutorials but also the opportunity to explore some of the worlds for yourself.

45 minutes truly is pitiful for Hogwarts Legacy, which is a shame given the success of the game. The title has surpassed $1 billion in revenue across several platforms and is making more money than the Harry Potter films it’s based on. The exploration is definitely a highlight, especially with all the minute details you can come across, many of which are still being discovered months after release.