Last updated: 21 August 2026

Resident Evil Requiem Demo Guide What's Included & How to Play It

Capcom released a surprise free demo for Resident Evil Requiem on May 27, 2026 — roughly three months after the full game launched. Available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam and Epic Games Store, the demo runs around 20 minutes and covers sections starring both Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kennedy. There is one important caveat: save data does not carry over to the full game. This guide covers what to expect, how to download it, how the camera toggle works in the demo, and how to make the most of the trial.

01What Is in the Resident Evil Requiem Demo

The demo gives you two back-to-back slices of the game's opening location: the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. Each section puts you in control of one of the two protagonists, letting you experience the game's split tones side by side.

Grace Ashcroft's section comes first. Grace wakes alone inside the Care Center with minimal supplies. A stalking creature is already patrolling the halls. The objective is to navigate around it, find items, and work through a locked gate — all without drawing attention. Survival depends on staying crouched, tracking sound cues, and finding light sources to temporarily repel the threat. This is the demo's horror half: slow, tense, and unforgiving if you rush.

Leon Kennedy's section follows immediately after. Leon arrives at the same facility responding to reports of a Code 6 incident. Within moments the infected staff overrun the area and combat begins. This half showcases Leon's firearm selection, melee parry system, and briefcase inventory management. It is faster, louder, and more action-oriented — a deliberate tonal contrast to Grace's opening.

Together the two sections represent what the full game does throughout: alternate between Grace's survival horror rhythm and Leon's action pacing. The demo's ~20-minute runtime is a tight but honest sample of both halves.

02How to Download the Demo

The Resident Evil Requiem demo is free to download on all five platforms where the full game is available:

• PlayStation 5 — search the PlayStation Store for 'Resident Evil Requiem Demo' or find it listed on the full game's store page. It is a free separate download.
• Xbox Series X|S — find it on the Xbox Store / Microsoft Store under the Resident Evil Requiem game hub.
• Nintendo Switch 2 — available on the Nintendo eShop.
• PC (Steam) — listed as a separate free demo entry. Search 'Resident Evil Requiem Demo' on Steam.
• PC (Epic Games Store) — available directly on the Resident Evil Requiem game page.

The demo does not require ownership of the full game. It is a standalone download and requires no prior purchase. No Capcom ID or subscription service membership is needed — just a platform account.

Is the demo still available? Capcom officially announced the demo as a limited-time download, though no specific removal date has been published — the listing remained active across all five storefronts for weeks after launch. It is worth downloading sooner rather than later if you are curious, but there is no confirmed deadline at this point.

03Camera Toggle: First-Person and Third-Person Both Work in the Demo

One of Resident Evil Requiem's headline features is its freely switchable camera perspective, and that option is fully available inside the demo. You can test both viewpoints across both characters during the same play session.

To change the camera perspective in the demo:

1. Pause the game and open Options (accessible from the pause menu).
2. Navigate to the Camera tab.
3. Find the Perspective settings — Grace and Leon each have a separate toggle.
4. Switch between First-Person and Third-Person for the character you are currently playing.

The change takes effect immediately when you resume. You can switch as many times as you like with no penalty — no trophies, challenge progress, or demo completion conditions are affected by the perspective you choose.

Grace's default perspective is first-person. It amplifies the horror tone: limited sightlines, intimate sound design, and no peripheral awareness of the creature's position. Third-person gives you wider visibility at the cost of some immersion.

Leon's default is third-person. It suits his action orientation — you can see enemy positions, read animations before attacking, and stay situationally aware during firefights. First-person is also fully functional for Leon if you prefer that feel.

The demo is a practical opportunity to settle on a preference before committing to an 8–12 hour full playthrough. Most players find that Grace in first-person and Leon in third-person matches the intended design, but there is no wrong answer.

04Save Data Does Not Carry Over — Here's What That Means

This is the most important thing to know before you start: progress made in the Resident Evil Requiem demo cannot be transferred to the full game. Capcom confirmed this on every platform's store listing.

In practice this means:

• Any items found, doors unlocked, or enemy encounters resolved in the demo do not carry over. The demo's save state is isolated from the retail version.
• If you finish the demo and buy the full game, you will replay the same opening section from scratch — Grace's Care Center stealth and Leon's combat introduction both repeat in the full game as part of the normal story.
• There is no penalty for this. The demo is shorter and self-contained; the full game's versions of these same areas are paced differently and contain more content around them.
• Your camera preference is also reset — the toggle you set in the demo is demo-only. You will set your perspective preferences again at the start of the retail game.

Think of the demo as a standalone taste rather than an early start on the real playthrough. It answers the question 'is this type of game for me?' without affecting the full experience in any direction.

05Tips to Get the Most Out of the Demo

The demo is approximately 20 minutes long but rewards two distinct play sessions if you have the time:

• Play Grace's section in first-person on your first attempt. The creature's audio cues are easier to read in first-person, and the intended tension of the opening comes through most strongly in that mode. If it feels too claustrophobic, switch to third-person and compare the two directly.
• Do not sprint in Grace's section. Sprinting generates noise that alerts the stalker faster than almost anything else. Move at a walk when the creature is nearby and crouch-walk near exits. The demo teaches this rule the hard way if you ignore it.
• In Leon's section, try both perspectives if you have time. Since the demo resets on each playthrough, running it twice — once in third-person and once in first-person — is the cleanest way to decide which perspective to use in the full game.
• Test the parry timing during Leon's section. Leon's melee parry has a specific input window. The infected in the demo attack predictably enough that you can practice the timing repeatedly. Getting a feel for the parry here saves you from learning it under pressure later.
• Listen to the sound design. Both sections use audio as a core navigation tool — Grace's creature growls and floor creaks, Leon's firearm feedback and infected vocal cues. Playing with headphones is worthwhile if you have them.
• You can replay the demo as many times as you like. There is no play count or time limit built into the demo itself. Each session is independent, so replaying to test different cameras or approaches costs nothing.

06FAQ

• Is the Resident Evil Requiem demo free? Yes. The demo is free to download on all five platforms — PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam, and Epic Games Store. No purchase of the full game is required.
• How long is the Resident Evil Requiem demo? The demo is approximately 20 minutes of gameplay, covering a Grace stealth section followed by a Leon combat section, both set in the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center.
• Does demo progress carry over to the full game? No. Save data from the demo cannot be transferred to the full version of Resident Evil Requiem. If you purchase the full game after playing the demo, you will restart the opening sections from the beginning.
• Can you toggle between first-person and third-person in the demo? Yes. Both camera perspectives are available in the demo. Open the pause menu, go to Options, and select the Camera tab. Each character (Grace and Leon) has an independent perspective toggle you can change at any time.
• What platforms is the RE Requiem demo on? The demo is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam, and Epic Games Store — the same platforms as the full game.
• Is the Resident Evil Requiem demo time-limited? Capcom officially announced the demo as a limited-time download, but has not confirmed a specific expiration date — the demo remained available across all storefronts without a stated end date as of the time of writing. It is worth downloading if you are interested.
• Does the Resident Evil Requiem demo include both Grace and Leon? Yes. The demo features back-to-back playable sections with both protagonists. Grace's segment focuses on stealth and survival; Leon's segment showcases combat. Together they represent the full game's split playstyle.