The Nioh 3 demo, which launched on January 29, 2026, for PS5 and PC, offers roughly 6 to 8 hours of gameplay at a normal pace. That's an unusually large chunk of content for a free demo, covering the opening story beats, a sizable open-world area, side missions, co-op multiplayer, and a full Crucible boss fight. The full game released on February 6, 2026.
Quick answer: Most players finish the Nioh 3 demo's main content in 6 to 8 hours. Speedrunning it takes around 4 to 5 hours, while thorough exploration and side content can push playtime to 10 hours or more.
Nioh 3 Demo Completion Times by Playstyle
| Playstyle | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Speedrun / rushing story | 4–5 hours |
| Normal pace | 6–8 hours |
| Completionist (all areas, side content) | 8–16 hours |
Team Ninja stated the demo would take around 6 hours, but real-world playtimes vary wildly depending on skill level and how much you explore. Some players reported finishing everything in about 4 hours on PS5 without rushing, while others spent upward of 16 hours combing every corner, tackling optional bosses, and farming Amrita in co-op. Newcomers to the series — especially those struggling with the tutorial boss — can easily spend double the estimated time.
What the Demo Covers
The demo spans the game's opening through the first Crucible, culminating in a boss fight against Jakotsu-baba at Hamamatsu. You can freely explore three regions: Hamamatsu, Tenryu River, and Tokaido. These areas are part of Nioh 3's new semi-open-world structure, a significant departure from the mission-select format of earlier entries. Collectibles like Kodama spirits, Scampuss cats, shrines, and enemy camps are scattered throughout.
Beyond the main path, there's a Battle Scroll mission called "Princess Tsubaki" found on a corpse outside the castle — it's the final piece of unique content in the demo and features yokai enemies not found elsewhere. An optional Bloodedge Demon encounter also lurks in the demo area for players looking for a serious challenge.
Co-op multiplayer is available during the demo for both missions and open-zone exploration, so you can summon help or join other players as a visitor.
Demo Download Size
| Platform | Download Size |
|---|---|
| PS5 | ~58.9 GB |
| PC (Steam) | ~81.2 GB |
The download is substantial for a demo, which partly explains why it contains so much playable content. Several players noted that the download itself took many hours on slower connections.
Demo Save Data Carries Over
All progress from the demo — levels, gear, items, and story completion — transfers directly into the full game. You need to keep the save data on the same device and account. This makes investing serious time in the demo worthwhile rather than throwaway, and many players used the demo period to farm Amrita, test weapon types, and get a head start on builds.
How Much of the Full Game Does the Demo Represent?
The PS5 activity tracker showed roughly 17% completion after finishing the demo, but that figure is misleading. It likely represents 17% of the first region, not the entire game. The lead developer confirmed in an interview that the demo area covers approximately 10% of the full game's map. The complete game includes at least four major regions with time-travel elements, and 22 main story missions spread across them.
Extrapolating from demo playtimes, a focused first playthrough of the full game lands somewhere around 40 to 50 hours. Players who explore thoroughly can expect 60 to 80 hours before touching New Game Plus, which the Nioh series is known for expanding with meaningful new content and difficulty layers.
Differences Between the Alpha Demo and the January 2026 Demo
The January demo covers the same regions as the earlier alpha that appeared in mid-2025, but with notable changes. It includes a longer, more story-heavy tutorial section and different enemy layouts. The overall difficulty was tuned down compared to the alpha, and some of the more frustrating enemy types (like the slug demons) were made less prevalent. The Twilight mission from the alpha was removed. Graphical improvements were also noticeable to returning players.
The earlier alpha demo had similar completion times for its core content — around 4 to 7 hours for most players — though some completionists reported spending nearly 20 hours achieving 100% in that version.
PC Performance in the Demo
The PC version of the demo ran well for most players, a welcome improvement over Team Ninja's previous PC port for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Players with mid-range hardware like an RTX 3060 reported stable 55–60 FPS at ultrawide 1440p with DLSS enabled. Higher-end systems had no trouble hitting a locked 120 FPS at max settings. Some initial visual graininess was reported but could be resolved through in-game settings adjustments. The PS5 version also performed well, though the earlier alpha had been rougher on that platform.
The Nioh 3 demo was available until mid-February 2026, and with the full game now released, it served its purpose as both a preview and a genuine head start. For a free demo, 6 to 8 hours of polished open-world action RPG content — with co-op and save transfer — set a high bar that players and critics widely praised.
