Bond’s opening Iceland mission is free, and its progress carries into the full game.
The 007 First Light Free Starter Pack is out now on Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam, putting Bond’s opening Iceland mission in players’ hands without charging for the chapter. IO Interactive says the same free pack reaches PS5 on November 10, with progress carrying into the full game if you decide to continue.
That’s a useful distinction for anyone still deciding on IOI’s Bond. This is a playable opening chapter, not a bundle of equipment with a free label. The Steam listing calls it a single-player game demo.
Iceland Is the Free Chapter, Not the Full Campaign
The pack covers the start of IOI’s reimagined James Bond origin story. You can play the opening mission before paying for the rest, rather than committing to a full edition on the strength of a trailer.
The Xbox listing draws the boundary directly: upgrading opens the entire story, Challenges and Tactical Simulations. Those aren’t all included simply because the starter download is free. The store also labels it for in-game purchases.
IOI’s promise that progress carries over means finishing Iceland needn’t turn into a second run through the same introduction after purchasing. Keep the demo and purchase on the same platform. IOI’s cross-progression FAQ specifically excludes campaign progression from its cross-platform system, so the carryover announcement isn’t a promise that a Steam campaign save moves to PS5.
PS5 Gets the Starter Pack on November 10
Xbox and Steam players can already try the chapter. PlayStation players have a separate November 10 date for this pack, according to IOI’s announcement. Don’t mistake the PC and Xbox availability for a simultaneous PS5 release.
The publisher has also lined up discounts on the full game: 40% on Steam through November 9, 40% on Xbox Series X|S through November 15, and 50% on PS5 through November 30, part of the PlayStation Store Black Friday sale that also lists the Deluxe Edition. Those are the announced sale windows, not deadlines IOI has given for the free mission.
On PC, GOG is our preferred store when a game is available there. The verified PC starter listing here is Steam. IOI also lists Steam and Epic for the full PC game; this announcement doesn’t establish an Epic version of the starter pack.
The Steam Demo Lists 16 GB RAM and an SSD
Steam publishes the following requirements for the starter pack itself. On consoles, the verified free pack runs on Xbox Series X|S, with PS5 access following November 10.
| Field | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10/11, 64-bit | Windows 10/11, 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-9500 or AMD Ryzen 5 3500 | Intel Core i5-13500 or AMD Ryzen 5 7600 |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, AMD RX 5700, or Intel discrete GPU equivalent | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, AMD RX 6700 XT, or Intel discrete GPU equivalent |
| Storage | 80 GB available space | 80 GB available space |
| Notes | SSD required | SSD required |
The free chapter is the better first step than choosing between full-game editions blind. Play Iceland, see whether this Bond works for you, then decide whether the rest earns the price.