Sonic Frontiers is getting a free worldwide demo for fans to try after previously being locked to Japan-only. The latest adventure featuring the blue hedgehog launched in the final quarter of 2022, taking the series to new heights with Sonic Frontier's gameplay shifting to a semi-open world structure. With the game out for at least two months, it managed to sell over 2.5 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling games of the franchise. To celebrate the holidays, Sega released a free demo of the game on the Nintendo Switch for fans to try.
Sega released this Sonic Frontiers demo as a "Christmas Gift" near the end of 2022, being a sampler of the full game for those who were on the fence about committing to a purchase. This demo was previously shown off at industry events like Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show, where it allows the player 15 minutes to explore the open-zone areas. This demo was previously Japan-exclusive, but now it has been released worldwide for anyone to download.
While the Japanese demo did provide English subtitles and voice tracks, fans won't need to use a Japanese account to try out a small portion of the game. This demo also helps a player to see how the Switch version of Sonic Frontiers compares to other consoles when running around the open-zone. It should be noted that any progress that is made in the demo will not carry over into the full game.
This isn’t the first time that a demo was announced after a game’s initial launch on the eShop, as Nintendo distributed a free Metroid Dread demo for Halloween back in 2021. As of this writing, this digital demo is only available on the Nintendo eShop for the Switch, with no word if it will be available on platforms like the PlayStation or Xbox. Reportedly, the Switch version of Sonic Frontiers managed to sell the best in comparison to other platforms, especially in Japan, which may explain its exclusivity, but this is just speculation at this time.
Alongside this demo, Sonic Frontiers has a discount listed on the Nintendo eShop, which makes the game 30% off until January 15. This discount is also available on a number of other platforms and storefronts, including Steam, the PlayStation Store, and more, as part of a "New Year" sale. There's plenty to look forward to in 2023 for Sonic the Hedgehog as Sonic Frontiers is getting plenty of free updates throughout the year, with the last update promising new playable characters and story for the game.
Sonic Frontiers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
