Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown demo out on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC

In a move that feels a little like being catapulted back in time several decades, Ubisoft has released a free playable Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown demo – for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC – ahead of the game's full launch next week.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown revives Ubisoft's shamefully long-dormant action-platforming series for a new generation – a new generation that wouldn't even have been born when the last game came out in 2008, thanks to Ubisoft's dallying – this time sending the prince's protector Sargon on a Metroidvania-style quest packed with side-scrolling combat and platform action.

Early word on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown – which has been developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, the studio behind the wonderful Rayman Legends and Origins – is reassuringly positive, with Digital Foundry's John Linneman calling it a “supremely polished, ultra smooth game that perfectly leverages every platform it has shipped on.”

“Platforming ramps up beautifully with players asked to navigate increasingly intricate rooms and puzzles using a mix of jumps, dashes, wall runs and more,” John wrote in his tech breakdown. “Just running through the world is a joy. Combat too, which is primarily melee based, is fast-paced and challenging [and] Enemies can wipe you out faster than you'd expect.”

And if that's got you suitably intrigued, Ubisoft has done the practically unthinkable as far as triple-A publishers go in 2024: it's released – as per its announcement toward the end of last year – a free playable demo to give curious parties a taste of Price of Persia: The Lost Crown action before they buy.

According to Ubisoft, the demo features “selected sections from the game, with early unlocks of Time Powers and amulets, to show the main gameplay features while not spoiling the story.” Reports suggest the whole thing should take around 30 minutes to play through, so you could easily squeeze it in between whatever lying down or standing up you have to do this evening.

The demo is available for Playstation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, switchand PC (via Epic Games and the Ubisoft Store), and those exact same platforms will play host to Price of Persia: The Lost Crown when the full game launches next Monday, 15th January.