How to Download the NBA 2K20 Demo

The NBA 2K20 demo arrives next week and this guide will show you how to quickly get the game up and running on your Xbox One, PlayStation 4, or Nintendo Switch.

The NBA 2K20 release date doesn’t land until September 6th, but you can play a portion of the game, for free, in August.

On August 21st, 2K Games will release an NBA 2K20 demo (it’s not called The Prelude this year) that will let Xbox One, PS4, and Switch owners play the upcoming game before its official release.

The demo will let you get a head start on the game’s MyCAREER career mode which includes an all new MyPLAYER builder. You’ll be able to try out multiple MyPLAYER configurations and your character will carry over to the full version of NBA 2K20 if you choose to buy it.

With the release now just a week away, it’s time to start preparing for the download. Here’s how you’ll want to approach the NBA 2K20 demo download and how you’ll download it when it arrives. If you plan on trying the demo, bookmark this page or commit this information to memory.

Make Room for the Demo

If you’re running out of storage space on console, right now is a great time to do some early cleanup. We don’t have an exact size yet, but we expect the NBA 2K20 demo to require quite a bit of free space.

The NBA 2K20 Demo launches in August.

The NBA 2K19 demo download was right around 17GB for PS4 and Xbox One and we expect the NBA 2K20 demo to require more than 10GB of free space on your internal, or external, storage.

If you’re running out of room and want to play the demo when it’s released at 8AM PT, you’ll want to spend time deleting files you no longer need. This way, you’re prepared for the download.

If you don’t want to deal with that, you should consider buying a large external hard drive. The Samsung T5 Portable SSD is an excellent choice and the WD My Passport 4TB is a great option for those who don’t want to break the bank.

Use a Wired Connection

Once the NBA 2K20 demo download goes live, you might want to run a wired cable to your console for the duration of the download. This will help keep the download speed fast and stable.

If you’re sick of dealing with slow download speeds, you might want to upgrade your router. If you’re interested, take a look at the TP-Link Archer A20 or Netgear’s Nighthawk AX4 RAX40.

How to Download NBA 2K20 Demo on Xbox One

If you’re planning to play the NBA 2K20 demo on an Xbox One, there are a couple of ways to start the download process once the demo goes live.

The easiest way is to turn on your Xbox One, head to the Store, and search for “NBA 2K20.” When the demo is live, you should see it listed alongside the game’s three editions (Standard, Digital Deluxe, and Legend).

Select the NBA 2K20 demo (again, it unlocks at 8AM PT on August 21st) and then select “Get” to start the download process. Download times will vary based on connection speed.

If you aren’t going to be home that night or on the morning of the release, you can still download it and have it ready to go when you return home. Here’s how you do that.

First, make sure your Xbox One has an internet connection and that you’re using the console’s Always Connected power option. Always Connected means your Xbox One goes to sleep instead of turning off.

After you’ve made sure of that, follow these instructions:

• Go to Xbox.com in your web browser.
• Click on the Sign In link in the top-right corner. For this to work you must use the same Microsoft Account that’s connected to your Xbox Live Gamertag and Xbox One.
• Type NBA 2K20 into the search box in the top-right corner of your screen.
• Click the blue “Get” button.

If for some reason your Xbox One doesn’t download new games and game updates when it’s sleeping, you’ll need to manually download the NBA 2K20 demo from the My Games and Apps section when you get home.

How to Download NBA 2K20 Demo on PS4

If you’re planning to play the demo on a PlayStation 4, you’ve got the same options available.

If you’re home when the demo goes live, simply turn on your PlayStation 4 and head into the Store. The easiest way to find the demo is via a search for “NBA 2K20.”

If you aren’t going to be home when the demo comes out, you’ll need to find a device with internet connectivity and visit the PlayStation Store in a browser. Your console will also need to have Automatic Downloads enabled.

• Go to Store.PlayStation.com in your browser.
• Click Sign In in the top-right corner of the screen. For this to work, this account needs to match the account you use on your PlayStation 4.
• Use the search box to look for NBA 2K20.
• Click on Add to Cart and complete the checkout process.

Once you get home you’ll want to look for the NBA 2K20 demo in your collection of games. If for some reason it’s not there, you’ll need to manually start the download and wait for it to finish.

How to Download NBA 2K20 Demo on Nintendo Switch

If you own the Nintendo Switch, you’ve got a couple of options at your disposal.

If you’re near your Switch when the demo arrives, head on into the Nintendo eShop, search for “NBA 2K20”, find the demo, and initiate the download.

If you aren’t near your Switch, you can snag the demo from your phone or laptop. Here’s how you do that:

• Go to Nintendo.com in your browser.
• In the search bar at the very top of the page, type in NBA 2K20.
• If the demo is live, you should see it next to the other 2K games.
• Once you’re on the correct page, find a yellow box that says “Free Download” and click/tap it.
• When prompted, enter the account information associated with your Switch.
• On the next screen, tap/click the big red box that says “Free download.”

Once you do that, you should be taken to a screen that looks like the one in the screenshot below.

NBA 2K20 Demo Download Problems

2K Games typically doesn’t offer a pre-load for the 2K Prelude/Demo so we might see download issues strike in the early going. This is why we recommend using a wired connection, it could help.

If your NBA 2K20 download gets stuck during the download process, you’ll want to pause the download and retry. This typically fixes the issue.

If you’re running into bugs or performance issues within the game, you’ll want to try restarting the game. If that doesn’t work, contact the developer and keep an eye out for an update.

Pre-Order NBA 2K20 for These Bonuses

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If you plan to invest quite a bit of time into some of NBA 2K20's game modes, you might want to pre-order a copy for the bonuses.  If you pre-order a copy of the standard version of the game, you'll get some nice bonuses with your copy in September.  These include: 5,000 Virtual Currency; 5,000 MyTEAM Points; 5 MyCAREER Skill Boosts; MyPLAYER Clothing Capsule; 10 MyTEAM League packs (delivered one per week); 5 Heat Check packs (delivered one per week beginning at the start of the NBA season). Those are all free with a pre-order and they'll give you a pretty good head start in the NBA 2K20's popular game modes.

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