Bandai Namco will give us a chance to test out the new Sword Art Online game Echoes of Aincrad with a demo before its July 2026 debut. The trial will be available on both consoles and PCs. However, it will show up on PCs first at 10am PT/1pm ET on June 15, 2026, before coming to the PS5, and Xbox Series X on June 16, 2026.
The announcement regarding the demo was rather brief. It didn’t go into how long it will last or if save data will carry over. It just mentioned it will appear on every applicable platform. I got a chance to go hands-on with a preview build and explore. In addition to a character creator that lets us choose how we look and towns where we can rest, adjust equipment, and prepare for fights, the action-RPG lets us go up against familiar looking foes, chronicle the different floors, and attempt to survive an MMORPG turned into a death game.
This is one of two game demos Bandai Namco announced today. The other is one for the Switch and Switch 2 versions of Digimon Story Time Stranger. Those are already live on the eShop.
The Sword Art Online game Echoes of Aincrad will come to the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on July 10, 2026, and the demo will be available everywhere by June 16, 2026. The original SAO anime series is on Crunchyroll, and Yen Press handles manga, audiobooks, and light novels based on the series.