PlayStation Plus just handed players an hour-long trial of 007 First Light, and frankly, that's both generous and infuriatingly insufficient. IO Interactive announced on X on Tuesday that PS Plus subscribers can now experience this opening chunk for free, and while the account doesn't specify which hour will be available, the demo will likely start from the beginning—that cold-open action sequence that segues into one of the best video game tutorials in recent memory. The problem is simple: one hour is just enough to understand why First Light works, but nowhere near enough to convince someone to buy it.
Here's what makes First Light's tutorial exceptional: it happens in-universe. You learn how the game works alongside Bond's in-universe training, as the neophyte spy learns the tools of the trade in a playable training montage that jump-cuts between different set pieces. There are car races, fistfights, and mock infiltration missions where Bond tries to earn his place in a program that virtually no one thinks he belongs in. The sequence is stylish and provides a narrative buy-in that most game tutorials don't even attempt. Video game tutorials are famously not very good—many are dull introductions that over-explain every gameplay system in exhausting detail instead of letting players figure things out. Even in cinematic, story-focused games, pop-up menus clog the screen, making it impossible to get lost in the world. First Light solves this by making the tutorial feel like part of the story itself.
The sales numbers prove the gamble paid off. After launching in May, 007 First Light had already sold an impressive 4 million copies by August, making it one of the best-selling games of 2026 so far. That's remarkable. Yet the future of the franchise remains clouded by conflicting statements from Amazon Game Studios boss Jeff Gattis. While IO Interactive self-published First Light, Gattis said that wouldn't be the case with future Bond games, and they will be "done by MGM and, theoretically, by Amazon Game Studios." IO Interactive scored the rights to the game before Amazon owned the James Bond IP. However, Gattis later clarified that Amazon Games would likely work with IO again, saying "Given the success of this one, I think you probably want IOI developing it."
Sony's one-hour PlayStation Plus trial is clearly meant to convert skeptics into buyers, and it's a smart marketing move. But it's also a tease that risks backfiring. Give players just enough to appreciate brilliance, then yank it away? That's a recipe for frustration rather than conversion. IO Interactive is still supporting First Light with free DLC that included a new mission, New Game Plus, time trials, and more, which suggests confidence in the game's longevity. Amazon Games needs to stop hedging its bets and commit fully to letting IO continue Bond's story. One hour proved the formula works. Now it's time to let the studio build on that success.