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Published Jan 26, 2026, 5:00 PM EST
Bruno Yonezawa is a Gaming Senior Writer for Screen Rant. He's been practicing professional journalism for over 10 years, and is also a communications specialist. He's played games all his life and turned that passionate hobby into a passionate career, in an industry where he's worked as a writer, editor, analyst, and more.
Six free downloads arrived for Xbox earlier this year, and you don’t need an Xbox Game Pass membership to gain access to these benefits if you want to try them out. A lot of what is considered free on Microsoft’s gaming platform is often locked behind the subscription service, which grants freebies to members. For example, five day-one releases on Xbox Game Pass were recently revealed, and they will arrive without extra costs for Ultimate members.
However, not every freebie on Xbox actually requires an Xbox Game Pass membership. As was reported by Pure Xbox, six free demos have been added to Xbox in 2026 so far. These six demos were added over the course of January, and three of them are quite remarkable in the sense that they are notable AAA titles. There are also three demos for smaller games, but they’re still worth checking out, especially because they’re 100% free.
Xbox Gamers Can Try These 6 Games Now
Test Dragon Quest, Yakuza, & Code Vein
All you’ll need to download each of the six demos is a stable internet connection. The most notable of the six free demos are for Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, and Code Vein 2. The demo for Dragon Quest VII Reimagined lets you carry progress obtained into the final version of the game, set to be released on February 5. Meanwhile, the Yakuza demo does not contain the feature.
These are all six of the new demos on Xbox right now:
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
- Hacked: The Streamer
- Star Trek: Voyager - Across The Unknown
- Bubblegum Galaxy
- Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
- Code Vein 2
The Code Vein 2 demo is a bit more limited, as it only grants you access to the character creation mechanic – as such, you can’t really check out gameplay, per se. These characters, however, can be transferred over to the final version of the game, which is one of the biggest releases in January 2026.
It's Always Good To Try Before You Buy
Try These Xbox Demos To See If The Games Click With You
Even though these demos only provide a sneak peek of what the final version of their respective games is, they are always a great choice. It’s good to get a grasp of what you can expect from a game for free before actually deciding to carry on with a purchase, which isn’t always cheap – and that may not live up to your expectations.
While demos are carefully crafted to highlight some of the best portions of the games, they often let you know if it’s something that clicks with you. Free demos on Xbox aren’t something to be snubbed, and even some of the smaller game demos should be checked out; you’ll never know if something can surprise you.
These six new demos in January 2026 are great news for players on Microsoft’s gaming platform, especially with all the hype around games like Code Vein 2, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Tide, and Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. Demos are often removed from the storefront, however, so you’d better check them out on Xbox as soon as possible.
Brand Xbox
Original Release Date November 10, 2020
Original MSRP (USD) Series X priced at US$499 and the Series S priced at US$299
Weight 9.8 lb
English (US) ·