Despite being released on an installation disc for Diamond Monster 3D in October 1996, this disc oddly contains the earliest playable version available of Tomb Raider which is dated May 7th 1996. The demo contains the first three levels, the third of which is unplayable.

GENERAL DIFFERENCES

* SFX is entirely different
* Lara's jumping animation (when initally stood still) is much more exaggerated and slower
* No pickups are present in the levels
* Doors, switches and many other objects are missing
* Some of Lara's moves cannot be performed as they have not been implemented
* Lara is invincible

Below is a list of differences in each level:

CAVES

* There is no front entrance behind Lara at the beginning
* Bats are encountered in the very first corridor
* There are no darts in the first corridor, neither are there any textures to indicate them
* The first secret area and the slope leading to it is missing
* Where bats are initially encountered in the final game, there are none here
* The room beyond where the first door and switch would be is completely different here, notably featuring the Inca calendar on a wall
* Where there should be bridges are instead the serpentine statues seen in City of Vilcabamba, floating in midair
* In the bridge chamber is also an Inca statue not seen until the following level in the final version
* Wolves and bears have not been placed in this level
* The secret room with the Inca calendar is not here
* Parts of the level are missing as there is a black void beyond where the timed doors should be

CITY OF VILCABAMBA

* There are no doors behind Lara at the level's beginning
* Where a wolf surprises Lara from around a corner in the final version is instead a bear
* The secret area in the pool room is absent
* In the skull room where the gold idol should be, the collapsible floor covers most of the room
* As there is no block in the level, there is instead a raised floor to allow Lara to climb up further
* Contrary to the rest of this build, there are switches and doors in the second half of this level. However the former are oversized and unusable and the latter Lara can walk straight through

Download the PSX prototype (on hiddenpalace.org) 10 May 1996

This demo was originally showcased at E3 1996 on Sony PlayStation booths, giving visitors their first hands-on look at the original Tomb Raider. Prior to starting, the player is given the option of either playing the level themselves or watching a rolling demo of the same level. The one level contained herein is City of Vilcabamba.

GENERAL DIFFERENCES

* There is no SFX whatsoever
* Lara is invincible
* By default, there are five items in Lara's inventory: diary, pistols, dynamite, small medipack and large medipack. Most are non-usuable
* Lara's pistols gunfire sprite is different, more spikey
* When Lara swims to a pool's surface she is launched up into the air

CITY OF VILCABAMBA

* There are no bats in this level
* Where a wolf normally appears from around a corner is instead a bear
* Most pickups are entirely missing
* In the pool room prior to the secret room there are dynamites and an oversized large medipack. These cannot be obtained
* The secret room mentioned above is missing from this build
* There are no underwater switches, trapdoors, movable blocks or dart shooters in this level
* In the skulls room, the collapsible floor covers the entire room. A large version of the gold idol is also found in this room's alcove
* Since there is no movable block, a raised floor has been placed to allow Lara to proceed
* Where the gold idol and silver key are usually found are instead vase sprites
* The few switches there are in this level have oversized levels and cannot be utilised
* Similiarly, the few doors there are do not function correctly. Lara can simply pass through them
* Collapsible floor is missing from the latter part of the level

A rolling demo featuring Lara's venture into the City of Vilcabamba.

GENERAL DIFFERENCES

* The title screen is different, showing the Atlantean Scion amongst green mist along with the text "Work In Progress Version". This screen appears before the rolling demo is automatically initiated.
* There are three sections to the inventory, each of them titled: "INVENTORY", "KEYS" and "OPTIONS".
* The magnums, uzis and grenades are available in Lara's inventory, albeit unusable.
* Despite displaying "0" ammunition, Lara is still able to use weapons such as the shotgun.
* A gamma option is available in the inventory, represented by a torch.
* Lara's pistols gunfire sprite is different.
* Lara cannot fire her guns unless she is locked on to an enemy.
* Since the shotgun is already in Lara's inventory, she has to first draw it for it to appear on her back when undrawn.
* The Natla Technologies map allows the player to explore the level from different views such as a top-down perspective, but this only applies to the rooms that Lara has already entered.
* When jumping from after the idle animation, Lara's jump animation is different.
* When on the water surface, Lara's animation when she submerges herself is also different.
* DOZY is accessible in this build.

CITY OF VILCABAMBA

* There are no doors behind Lara at the beginning of the level.
* Continuing straight ahead from the entrance, a small medipack can be found in a corner.
* Above the bear's dwelling are magnum clips in addition to the small medipack.
* There are a few extra bats in one of the corridors surrounding the first pool chamber.
* In the secret room activated by an underwater switch, there are three pistol clips, two shotgun shells and one set of magnum clips.
* The silver key is missing from the level and the gold idol is found a floor above where it is located in the final build.
* In the inventory, the gold idol is simply referred to as "PUZZLE".
* Since the silver key is missing, Lara only needs to pull a switch to access the second portion of the level.
* After the door leading into the level's second part, there are no dart shooters. Pistol clips can be found on the ground here.
* There is no bat in the first pool room in which Lara has to ascend to the top to activate a switch. In that switch room, there are also pistol clips in addition to the small medipack.
* There is no bear in the final chamber but there is a wolf in one of the upstairs areas.
* The final secret consists of grenades, pistol clips and uzi clips.

SCREENSHOTS

Beta build on the Sega Saturn featuring City of Vilcabamba along with Lara's Home, titled "Gym" at this point in development.

GENERAL DIFFERENCES

* There is a "Press Start Button" screen prior to the title screen. This would be discarded after the Saturn version's release but before the other subsequent releases, hence its absence from those versions.
* The Press Start Button screen actually shows the final version of the title screen image. The actual title screen in this version though displays the game logo with the Atlantean Scion surrounded by green mist.
* The inventory font used is different, displaying words all in capitals.
* There is a Gamma option, represented by a torch.
* Sound is instead titled "DEMO PLAYBACK".
* The handheld console in the title screen is titled "RECORD DEMO".
* Loading screens display the same image as the title screen. Here, both Gym and City of Vilcabamba are referred to as "Level 2".
* The health bar colour is paler than the final. The bar itself is also found at the centre-top of the screen.
* Lara's footsteps have different SFX. These sounds would only be used in the FMV sequences in the retail game.
* Static objects have no collision which means that Lara can simply pass through them.
* There is a sound glitch when Lara replaces her pistols.
* Lara is able to draw her guns when picking up an item. When she rises she will behave as if they were not drawn.
* There are no savegame crystals in this build.
* The Atlantean doppelgänger is found inside this build but it is unfinished, not moving at exactly the same pace as Lara.
* Also found in the file is an unused boulder with textures not used in the final version. Even in a static state, the boulder can still kill Lara if she runs into it.

GYM

* Lara wears her usual tomb raiding attire here, complete with pistols. By default, the pistols have 5000 rounds of ammunition.
* Lara's vocal guidance through this level have not been implemented yet.
* The texture of the harp's strings have not been applied, leaving a blank white texture in its place.
* There is a static bear object in the gym area which was later removed but can still be found in the retail level's file.
* There is no trigger to end the level.

CITY OF VILCABAMBA

* There are no doors behind Lara at the level's beginning.
* Magnum clips are found above the bear's dwelling in addition to the small medipack.
* The secret room opened by the underwater switch consists of two pairs of pistol clips, two boxes of shotgun shells and one pair of magnum clips.
* After exiting the underwater chamber and emerging into one of the houses, there is a large medipack and shotgun shells to be found.
* The silver key is missing from the level and the gold idol is found a floor above where it is located in the final build.
* Since the silver key is missing, Lara only needs to pull a switch to access the second portion of the level.
* After the door leading into the level's second part, there are no dart shooters. Pistol clips can be found on the ground here.
* There is no bat in the first pool room in which Lara has to ascend to the top to activate a switch. In that switch room, there are also pistol clips in addition to the small medipack.
* There is no bear in the final chamber but there is a wolf in one of the upstairs areas.
* The final secret consists of grenades, pistol clips and uzi clips.
* In the inventory the gold idol is referred to as "Level 2 Puzzle1".
* Like Gym, there is no trigger present to end the level.

Beta build on the Sega Saturn featuring four levels from the Peru and Greece sections of the game.

GENERAL DIFFERENCES

* There is a "Press Start Button" screen prior to the title screen. This would be discarded after the Saturn version's release but before the other subsequent releases, hence its absence from those versions.
* The Press Start Button screen actually shows the final version of the title screen image. The actual title screen in this version though displays the game logo with the Atlantean Scion surrounded by green mist.
* The inventory font used is different, displaying words all in capitals.
* There is a Gamma option, represented by a torch.
* The control options have not been implemented yet so there is nothing to choose from.
* Although Lara's Home (Gym), all levels and cutscenes are selectable from the title screen, most cannot be played because no files for them are included in this build. Trying to do so simply takes the player back to the title screen.
* The loading screen is plain black with the words "LOADING" at bottom centre of the screen.
* The health bar colour is paler than the final. The bar itself is also found at the centre-top of the screen.
* Lara's footsteps have different SFX. These sounds would only be used in the FMV sequences in the retail game.
* There is a sound glitch when Lara draws and replaces her pistols. This also occurs when Lara inserts keys into keyholes.
* There are no savegame crystals in this build.
* The statistics screen displays the title screen, informing the player that they have completed the level. It also tells you how many rooms Lara has visited.
* Lara is able to draw her guns when picking up an item. When she rises she will behave as if they were not drawn.
* The sound of Lara pulling a lever is in fact the one which would later be used for the handle switches in Tomb Raider II.

CAVES

* There are no darts in the first corridor, neither are there any textures to indicate them.
* The first secret area and the slope leading to it is missing. In its place are pistol clips.
* Pistol clips are also found in the chamber prior to the first door and switch.
* Where there are normally wooden bars preventing Lara from passing into the final area, instead there is seemingly an invisible wall. However, the wooden bars are visible from the other side.
* In the bridges chamber, there is no sprite of the skeleton wrapped in ropes.
* The secret room with the Inca calendar is not here.
* More pistol clips are found in the stairways leading up into to final area.

CITY OF VILCABAMBA

* Magnum clips are found above the bear's dwelling in addition to the small medipack.
* The secret room opened by the underwater switch consists of two pairs of pistol clips, one box of shotgun shells and one pair of magnum clips.
* After exiting the underwater chamber and emerging into one of the houses, there is a large medipack and shotgun shells to be found.
* The silver key is missing from the level and the gold idol is found a floor above where it is located in the final build.
* Since the silver key is missing, Lara only needs to pull a switch to access the second portion of the level.
* After the door leading into the level's second part, there are no dart shooters. Pistol clips can be found on the ground here.
* Pistol clips can also be found after surviving the second wolf pack attack and on top of the temple above the small medipack.
* There is no bat in the first pool room in which Lara has to ascend to the top to activate a switch. In that switch room, there are also pistol clips in addition to the small medipack.
* After passing the swinging axes and activating the trapdoor, pistol clips can be found underwater.
* There is no bear in the final chamber but there is a wolf in one of the upstairs areas.
* The final secret consists of grenades, pistol clips and uzi clips.
* In the inventory the gold idol is referred to as "Level 2 Key3".
* The final door will close after Lara passes through it.

ST. FRANCIS' FOLLY

* There is no entrance hallway, nor are there any lions to greet Lara. She instead starts directly in front of the broken columns.
* The moveable block is level with the rest of the room. The floor was lowered later in development to prevent Lara from moving the block around the room.
* In front of the building containing the first switch is a texture taking up one block of the floor. The texture features a keyhole surrounded by brickwork, suggesting that perhaps keyholes were not going to be three dimensional objects at one point.
* Pierre DuPont has not been implemented yet, neither has the secret room with the slope obstacles.
* Bats are missing from the entire level.
* In one of the alcoves in the hub area, there are pistol clips rather than a large medipack.
* The falling swords in the Damocles room have not been implemented yet. The lighting in the key room here is also different.
* The sphere in the Thor room does not function and the hammer is missing. There's also two pieces of collapsible flooring on one of the walls in the hammer room which would act as Lara's quick descent after acquiring the Thor Key. However, since the hammer and moveable block of this room are missing, the Thor Key is unobtainable in this build. A small medipack is also missing from one of the ledges in the hammer room.
* There is no gorilla to meet Lara at the entrance to the Atlas room.
* The four keys in the inventory are titled as the following: "Level 4 Key1", "Level 4 Key2", "Level 4 Key3" and "Level 4 Key4".
* This level is also referred to as "Level 4" on the statistics screen, suggesting that Tomb of Qualopec was to be a part of the Lost Valley level.

THE CISTERN

* Several enemies are missing from this level, Pierre among them.
* The keys in The Cistern are similiary titled to those in St. Francis' Folly, e.g. "Level 7 Key5".

Below is a list of different changes in the 3D models from this beta compiled by Kaejaris. They are also some minor differences to spot in the levels not listed here. Screenshots taken with TRViewer.

This PSX rolling demo was released on 4th September 1996 on Official UK PlayStation Magazine CD 14, the same date as the above PC beta. As such, it has pretty much everything in common with that version.
The same demo disc was also released in other countries, as Das Offizielle PlayStation Magazin Nr. 12/96 in Germany and as PlayStation Magazine CD in Australia.

The level featured in the rolling demo is the second half of City of Vilcabamba, showcasing Lara's venture to pull the first switch and ends when she enters the room that will lead her to the second. Like the PC beta, some of the SFX is different, most notable by the sound of Lara's footsteps which would end up only being heard in FMV sequences.
In addition to in-game differences there is also an earlier version of the title screen to be seen before the rolling demo begins. When it ends, an FMV screenshot of Lara on her Norton Streetfighter is shown with the text "Available November '96".

The demo has since been modified to allow players to control Lara in the level, thus being able to explore other areas not featured in the rolling demo.