Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Is Free on Switch This Week - Here's What You Need to Know

One of 2024's most celebrated games is available to play in its entirety, at no cost, for roughly the next seven days. There is a catch, and it is worth stating plainly before anything else: this offer is exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online members. If your subscription is active, the full version of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is yours to explore until the clock runs out.

The timing carries a certain irony. Here is a game that earned widespread critical praise and multiple awards, yet never found the commercial audience its quality suggested it deserved. Now it is being handed to millions of Switch owners as a promotional gesture, a second chance for a title that slipped past too many players the first time around.

Last updated: September 24.

The Deal: What's Actually Free, and For How Long

Nintendo has selected Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown as its latest Game Trial. For those unfamiliar with the program, Game Trials temporarily grant Nintendo Switch Online subscribers access to a full game, not a demo or a slice of content, but the complete experience, start to finish.

The window opens September 24 at 10 a.m. PT and runs for approximately one week, placing the expected end date around September 30. Readers should confirm the precise end time on Nintendo's official Game Trial page, as that deadline represents the entire urgency of this promotion.

The membership requirement bears repeating. This is not a free-for-all for Switch owners. An active Nintendo Switch Online subscription is mandatory, consistent with how Nintendo has structured the Game Trial program since its inception. Those without a subscription will need to sign up before they can download the trial.

Why This Game Is Worth Your Week

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, with support from Ubisoft Bucharest, Kyiv, and Pune. It launched in January 2024 and represents a deliberate departure from the series' 3D Sands of Time lineage, a creative pivot that longtime fans may have initially dismissed.

That dismissal would have been a mistake. At launch, the game held an 88/100 Metacritic score on Switch and a 96 percent critic recommendation rate on OpenCritic. It earned multiple awards and consistent praise for its tight platforming, responsive combat, and confident level design.

The road to that acclaim was not straightforward. The game's 2023 reveal trailer drew mixed-to-negative reactions, with criticism focusing on a rap soundtrack that some felt was inauthentic to the Persian-inspired setting. When reviews arrived, sentiment flipped entirely. It stands as one of the more dramatic critical redemption arcs in recent memory.

The Commercial Paradox: Acclaimed but Underperforming

Critical success did not translate to commercial triumph. As reported by [outlet], citing a since-deleted LinkedIn resume from a Ubisoft marketing director, the game sold approximately 1.3 million copies in its first year. Ubisoft has not publicly confirmed that figure, and it should be treated with appropriate caution, though it aligns with contemporaneous reports suggesting Ubisoft leadership viewed the performance as underperforming relative to expectations.

The number is striking when set against the game's reception. A 96 percent recommendation rate on OpenCritic typically signals a title that publishers would consider a victory. For The Lost Crown, it apparently was not enough.

Supporting context complicates the picture further. The game was the fourth best-selling title in the UK during its launch week, suggesting genuine consumer interest at release. Yet the momentum did not sustain. The franchise's broader modern history offers some explanation: a troubled Sands of Time Remake, the divisive 2008 reboot, and years of inconsistent direction had left the Prince of Persia name with diminished cultural cachet. A strong entry, it seems, still struggled to break through the noise.

If You Like It, Here's How to Keep It

Players who find themselves absorbed by the trial have options once the week concludes. The Complete Edition bundles the base game with the Mask of Darkness story DLC and additional in-game items, offering the most comprehensive version for those ready to commit. The game is also included with Ubisoft+ Premium, the publisher's subscription service, extending access beyond the Nintendo trial window for subscribers of that platform. For everyone else, the decision is straightforward: play the trial, assess whether the game clicks, and convert to a purchase if it does.

How to Get Started Before the Clock Runs Out

The process is simple. First, verify that your Nintendo Switch Online membership is active. Without it, the trial will not appear as downloadable.

Next, locate the Game Trial on the Nintendo eShop. It should be prominently featured on the store's main page or discoverable through a search for the game's title. Download it as you would any digital purchase.

One consideration for players planning to buy the full game later: save data from a Game Trial typically carries over to the purchased version when played on the same Nintendo account, though it is worth confirming on the game's eShop page before the window closes.

Finally, double-check the official Nintendo page for the precise end date and time. Promotional windows can shift, and the September 30 estimate should be verified before the deadline approaches.

A Second Chance for a Game That Deserved One

The central tension here is difficult to ignore. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown earned the kind of reviews most studios can only dream of, yet it never reached the audience those scores implied. Now it is available at zero cost to millions of Nintendo Switch Online members, a low-risk invitation to see what the buzz was about.

For players who skipped it in January 2024, whether due to franchise fatigue, the underwhelming reveal, or simply a crowded release calendar, this is the moment to reconsider.

The clock is ticking. If curiosity has ever pulled you toward The Lost Crown, this is the week to answer it.