Call of Duty: Black Ops 3's five-day beta hits PC and Xbox One a week after PS4

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3's multiplayer beta will be available Aug. 26 on Windows PC and Xbox One, a week after the Aug. 19 launch on PlayStation 4, publisher Activision announced today.

While PS4 users will be able to play before anyone else — thanks to Activision's new exclusive contract with Sony — the beta won't last any longer on that platform than the others. The Black Ops 3 beta will run for five days on each of the three platforms: Aug. 19-23 on PS4, and Aug. 26-30 on PC and Xbox One.

Activision will provide details on the Black Ops 3 beta's maps and modes at a later date, but said today that the beta will allow players to "try the new momentum-based, chained movement system, find the perfect Specialist to fit their play style, get a feel for the new multiplayer maps, and more."

Black Ops 3's beta is the first for a Call of Duty game since 2008's Call of Duty: World at War, which was also developed by Treyarch. Beta access is available to anyone who pre-orders Black Ops 3, which launches Nov. 6. For more on the game's multiplayer component, check out our hands-on impressions from E3.