Last updated: 5 September 2026

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

Capcom had said there were "no plans" for a Resident Evil Requiem demo before launch — then released a free one on May 27, 2026, roughly three months after the full game launched on February 27, 2026. Available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam and Epic Games Store, the demo covers an early slice of the game 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, and how to make the most of the trial.

01What Is in the Resident Evil Requiem Demo

The demo covers an early slice of the game's opening location: the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. It's split into two back-to-back sections, one per protagonist, letting you experience the game's split tones side by side.

Grace Ashcroft's section comes first and covers her stealth escape through the Care Center. The objective is to navigate around a stalking threat, find items, and work through the area without drawing attention. This is the demo's horror half: slower, tense, and built around stealth rather than confrontation.

Leon Kennedy's section follows, set in the same location during a later part of the story. It showcases Leon's action-oriented combat — firearms, melee, and moment-to-moment gunplay — as a deliberate tonal contrast to Grace's opening.

Together the two sections give a sample of what the full game does throughout: alternate between Grace's survival-horror rhythm and Leon's action pacing. Multiple outlets clocked the demo at roughly 20 minutes of gameplay.

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's a standalone download.

Is the demo still available? Capcom announced the demo as a free, limited-time download. No specific removal date has been published, and outlets hadn't reported it being pulled as of this writing, but there's no confirmed deadline — it's worth downloading sooner rather than later if you're curious.

03Camera Toggle: First-Person and Third-Person

One of Resident Evil Requiem's headline features is its switchable camera perspective — you can play in first-person or third-person and change at any time, for each character independently, from the Camera tab in the pause menu's Options screen. This is a full-game feature that's been part of the game since its earliest public showings.

Grace's default perspective is first-person, which leans into the horror tone with tighter sightlines and less peripheral awareness of threats. Leon's default is third-person, which suits his action-oriented combat by keeping enemy positions and animations more visible. Both characters can be switched to the other perspective at any time with no restrictions, though a few specific Leon animations (executions, some melee moves) briefly pull the camera to third-person even if you're playing him in first-person.

The demo is a low-stakes opportunity to test both perspectives on both characters before committing to the full campaign. Most players find that Grace in first-person and Leon in third-person matches the intended design, but there's 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. This has been confirmed by Capcom's own demo listings and reported by multiple outlets covering the release.

In practice this means:

• Any items found, doors unlocked, or 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 own or later buy the full game, you'll replay the same opening section from scratch as part of the normal story.
• There's no penalty for this — the demo is shorter and self-contained; the full game's version of these areas is paced differently and has more content around it.
• Any camera preference you set in the demo is demo-only and won't carry into 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 either way.

05Tips to Get the Most Out of the Demo

The demo is short, so here's how to make the most of a single (or repeated) run:

• Play Grace's section in first-person on your first attempt. It's the perspective the section was designed around, so it's the best way to judge whether the horror pacing works for you. If it feels too claustrophobic, switch to third-person and compare.
• Move deliberately in Grace's section. Stealth sections like this one generally punish noise and rushing — moving carefully and staying aware of the stalking threat is the safer approach.
• Try both perspectives in Leon's section if you have time to replay — since progress resets each run, replaying once per camera setting is the cleanest way to decide what you want for the full game.
• Use the demo to get a feel for Leon's combat and melee timing before you're under pressure in the full campaign.
• Play with headphones if you can. Both sections lean on audio cues — Grace's environmental sounds and Leon's combat feedback — to signal danger.
• You can replay the demo as many times as you like — there's no reported play count or time limit built into it, so replaying to compare cameras or approaches costs nothing.