Resident Evil Village Demo Out Now On PS5, Another One Coming This Spring

The first demo of Resident Evil Village is now available, but you'll need a PlayStation 5 in order to try it out. PS5 owners can now head to the PlayStation Store--provided they can get it to load, as PSN has been experiencing issues in the wake of the demo's announcement--and snag the "Maiden" demo, which is not a piece of the main game, nor does it feature its star, Ethan Winters. Instead, this will give you a taste of what to expect from the full experience without actually spoiling any of it.

As detailed by producer Pete Fabiano in the Resident Evil Showcase, the protagonist in the demo is referred to as the "Maiden" and, as such, the demo is standalone from the main game. In fact, the demo doesn't feature any combat or the new blocking system detailed in the showcase's Village gameplay demo, and it's unclear if the Tall Vampire Lady will make an appearance. But you can expect ray tracing and 3D Audio support, the latter of which requires the use of headphones. Players will be challenged to "rely solely on their wits to make their escape" in lieu of the combat you can expect in the full game.

According to Fabiano, the Resident Evil Village Maiden demo is a bit of a mood piece that gives players a taste of the presentation. "We're hoping to have players get a real feel for the visuals and audio as they take the Maiden on her journey to find a way out of the castle," he explained.

As noted above, PSN and the PlayStation Store appear to be suffering from issues at the moment, with some users having trouble accessing them. That's possibly due to a rush of people hitting the store to look for the demo. If you're having trouble accessing PSN on the console itself, you can download the demo from the web version of the PlayStation Store; the demo is located on the same page as the game itself.

The Maiden demo is one of two that will be available. Fabiano said that a separate, new demo will be available this spring. This second demo will not be PS5-exclusive and will instead be available on all platforms.

During the event Capcom confirmed Resident Evil Village's release date as May 7, 2021. It will be available for PS4 and Xbox One, alongside the previously announced PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions. For more, check out our RE Village preorder guide.