How to Get the "Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2" Remastered Demo

Radical.

First thing’s first. Crank this:

If you know, you know. Okay, now let’s talk.

The entire internet flipped (ollied, even) when Tony Hawk announced on his 52nd birthday that a remastered version of his classic games, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2, would be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 4K.

Players of a certain age were psyched to learn that the remake would include many of the tracks and tunes that made the originals so iconic. Those who didn’t grow up with these legendary skate experiences—having instead been raised on a series of increasingly underwhelming follow-ups—no doubt rushed to pre-order the game, just so they could feel the rush described to them by older generations. I assume. (We hate to re-use a tired GIF, but it has literally never been more relevant than in this moment.)

Unfortunately, we'll all have to wait until 4 September 2020, which is when Activision will release the game on PS4, Xbox One and PC (via Epic Games).

That wait, for many, will be interminable.

The good news is that a demo will be made available prior to the game’s release, allowing users to test out the new-and-improved Warehouse level, which was the very first level on the very first Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Here’s what it looked like back in 1999.

And here’s what it looks like now, per the PlayStation Blog.

Alright already, stop tantalising me! How do I get the demo?

According to the official website, if you pre-order the game online through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store or Epic Games store, you’ll get access to "the iconic Warehouse level… before the game’s launch."

Basically, if you pre-ordered a physical copy of the game, you’re out of luck. You need to instead pre-order the Deluxe Digital Edition of the game, which also offers you 'The Ripper' skater from Powell-Peralta, unique retro outfits for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero and Rodney Mullen, and unique retro content for the Create-A-Skater mode.

Thankfully, if you’re desperate to get a physical version of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 to have and to hold, you can pre-order the Collector’s Edition on PS4 and Xbox, which will give you a physical copy, the Digital Deluxe Edition Content and a Limited Edition Full Size Birdhouse Skateboard Deck.

Cool. But again: How do I get the demo?

Okay, okay! Unfortunately, as of this writing, you won’t get instant access to the demo. However, it will become available on 14 August 2020. (Though, beware: the PlayStation Store notes "availability and launch date(s) subject to change.)

Interestingly, however, Epic also says "downloadable content may be made available to purchase". This potentially means that if you don’t pre-order the game digitally, there may be an opportunity to buy the demo prior to the game’s release, letting you sample before you invest in the whole kit.

Who are we kidding? We're buying it, baby.

If you're after the Deluxe Digital Edition for Xbox, check out the Microsoft Store.

Pre-order for PC via Epic Games.

Update (24/06): This article was updated to include the date of the demo's release.

Header Image: Activision