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If you’re interested in Cloud Gaming, then you may be aware of Amazon Luna and GeForce Now, these are two of the most popular services on the market today, and at first glance, they look pretty similar. You can use either one to play games via the cloud, but how else do they compare and does one platform have the edge? Well, that’s what we’re going to answer for you in this article.
I have spent time with both services, tried out the single-player titles, and some retro favorites, played some online multiplayer, and even managed to get a win on Fortnite. All of this information has helped me better understand who each platform is for, and why one is definitely the clear winner between the two. In this article, I will be comparing the performance, gaming library, pricing, and sprinkling in what I liked and disliked about each platform throughout.
After reading this article you should have all the information you need to make an informed decision on which one is right for you.
GeForce Now vs. Amazon Luna
We’ve talked about GeForce Now in the past, and have compared this to another popular cloud gaming service called Boosteroid. To summarize, GeForce Now launched in 2017 and was developed by Nvidia. Nvidia is a tech giant, and as the company’s value and technology grows it’s likely that GeForce Now will grow with it. You can play games using GeForce Now if you are located in the US, and it’s also available to users in many countries around the world.
Amazon Luna is Amazon’s cloud gaming service. It launched in the US in March of 2022 and is primarily available to those living in the US who have an Amazon account. You can simply visit their website, view the list of compatible devices, and begin playing a number of popular games through the service.
Pricing and Features
The two services have very different pricing structures. GeForce Now has three pricing tiers the Free tier, the Priority Tier for $9.99 per month, and the third tier which is called Ultimate and is priced at $19.99 per month. Each tier will provide you with access to gaming services, with the latter tier providing you access to premium gaming rigs, an 8-hour session time length, and the ability to play games at 4K and 120fps. For this comparison, I have chosen to choose the middle or Priority Tier. This tier gives you access to a premium gaming rig, a 6-hour session time length, and the ability to play games at 1080p and 60fps.
Amazon Luna currently only allows you access to play games at 1080p, and 60fps, and their pricing is much more complicated, but I’ll do my best to simplify it here for you. If you already have an Amazon Prime subscription then you’ll have access to Luna+, otherwise to access these games you’ll need to subscribe for $9.99 per month. If you’re a fan of the Jackbox party games, then you can subscribe to that channel and have access to those games for $4.99 per month.
If you’re a fan of Ubisoft titles such as Assassin’s Creed, or the FarCry series then you can add the Ubisoft+ channel to your subscription for $17.99 per month. Amazon does like to include a few games free for Amazon Prime members with Fortnite being one of the newest additions. Just be warned that these offerings can change from time to time, and the only way to add these games to your library permanently is to have them as part of a channel you’re subscribed to.
Amazon Luna currently doesn’t have any game session length, which is a plus, but I’m certainly not a fan of the inability to purchase games directly through Luna. The exception is Ubisoft games, you can buy select games from the Ubisoft store and play these using Amazon Luna.
With GeForce Now, you can buy games using your Steam, or Epic Games Store account and play them, which I definitely think is a win for those of you who are considering GeForce Now.
Gaming Library
There is almost no comparison between the games that are offered on both services. GeForce Now is definitely the winner here with over 1,500 games available, and there are a wide variety of free-to-play titles available as well. Some of my favorites are Genshin Impact, Fortnite, Rocket League, Apex Legends, and Destiny 2 just to name a few. Since you are buying games directly from the Steam or Epic Games store, these games are yours permanently regardless of whether or not they are no available on GeForce Now.
Amazon Luna does provide many single-player titles on its platform, some of my favorites were Chorus, Control, Batman Arkham Knight, and Resident Evil 2. One of the coolest things about Amazon Luna is its category of retro games. Here I was able to play games like Earthworm Jim 1, and 2, Metal Slug, and Capcom Arcade Stadium. Since I am subscribed to Amazon Prime, I was able to play games like Devil May Cry 5, and Fortnite without paying for a subscription.
As I mentioned already GeForce Now definitely has the edge when it comes to the gaming library, and my hope here is that Amazon Luna will get aggressive with adding games to its platform, otherwise, it’s really tough to sell the value of its service when trying to compete with other offerings out there.
Performance & Availability
Both services will give you a solid performance. I didn’t have any issues jumping in and playing games on either service. Amazon Luna is seriously lacking in the multiplayer games that are available, but I was able to test out Fortnite and could see my shots land and didn’t have any issues connecting.
I’ve had experience playing games on GeForce Now already, but still decided to jump and play some games in order to provide you all with a good comparison. Once again, GeForce Now seems to provide you with a slightly clearer picture, and the game performance overall is slightly better using GeForce Now. Games tend to load much faster, but I honestly don’t think the performance was so much better that I can recommend switching to GeForce if Luna is currently your primary cloud gaming provider.
If you are thinking about making the switch, I’d keep in mind that GeForce Now has a limit on the session time length, and Amazon Luna does not. Luna also has a nice feature that allows you to easily stream to Twitch from its platform, so this may be a nice touch for those of you who are considering either platform for streaming purposes.
Final Thoughts
Both Amazon Luna and GeForce Now have something to offer gamers, personally I just feel like GeForce Now is the clear winner between the two. GeForce Now will provide you with better performance, the pricing structure is much more clear, and there are many titles available to play. The downside is the game session length, and I understand how this can be a deal breaker for those who stream or just want to play with their friends and need much more time.
Amazon Luna has a few advantages on its end. It’s easy to access Luna and play the games that are available, and every now and then there are some real gems that become available to play for free if you’re already subscribed to Amazon Prime. But Amazon Luna’s negatives are its pricing which needs an overhaul, and its library which should have many more games than what’s available.
Thank you for taking the time to read our comparison of GeForce Now and Amazon Luna. Which platform are you the most interested in? Did our article help you make a decision? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.
