Games

F1 24 early access explained: Preload dates & how to play early

Franco Diaz
Hamilton and Russell wheel to wheel in F1 24EA Sports

F1 24 is just around the corner, and here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about the pre-load dates and how to play F1 24 before its official release on May 31.

EA Sports have revealed plenty of new details about the F1 24 release, including how to play the new franchise title early. On top of that, the devs have also announced the dates and times for fans to pre-load the game, so they can be ready to start racing as soon as the lights go out.

Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about F1 24 early access and pre-load period.

How to play F1 24 early

F1 24 fans can play with early access before the worldwide release by pre-ordering the Champions Edition or through an active EA Play subscription.

F1 24 Max Verstappen and Lando Norris racingActivision
Participate in F1 24 early access and play before anyone.

The first option is to pre-order F1 24’s Champions Edition. With this, you’ll get four liveries in F1 23 Time Trial Mode and also be able to download and play the new F1 24 up to three days before the release, on May 28.

The second option is through an EA Play subscription, the membership provides early access to all titles from the developer. However, the EA Play subscription only allows a 5-hour trial also starting on May 28.

F1 24 preload dates & times

EA have announced the pre-load dates for F1 24 on all available platforms, allowing players to save download time when the game launches.

Check out the list of dates and times when you’ll be able to pre-load F1 24:

  • Xbox: May 16 at 3 AM PT / 6 AM ET / 11 AM BST
  • PC (Steam & EA Play): May 22 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM BST
  • PlayStation:
    • Champions Edition: May 26 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM BST
    • Standard Edition: May 29 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM BST

How to preload F1 24: PlayStation, Xbox & PC explained

To pre-load F1 24, head to the store on your platform, search for the edition of the game you purchased, and select ‘Download.’ This will trigger the game’s download, saving you time when the game officially releases.

PC (Steam)

  1. Open and log in to Steam
  2. Search for the F1 24 edition you buy in your library
  3. Click “Pre-load Game” and that’s all

PC (EA Play)

  1. Open and log in to EA App
  2. Search the game edition you buy
  3. Click “Download” on the game

PlayStation

  1. Open PlayStation Store
  2. Head to game’s page
  3. Select “Download”

Xbox

  1. Open Microsoft Store
  2. Go the F1 24 page
  3. Hit “Download”

All in all, that’s everything you need to know in order to play F1 24 early. With EA Sports’ Formula One franchise getting closer, before the lights go out be sure to check the new gameplay and F1 World Fanzone features, and all the changes coming to the Career Mode in F1 24.

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