Free trials for GeForce Now and Amazon Luna look to tempt Stadia players

Free trials are being issued for alternative cloud gaming services like Nvidia’s GeForce Now and Amazon Luna following the shutdown of Google Stadia on January 18th. As reported by 9to5Google, Game publisher Ubisoft has emailed a one-month trial for a GeForce Now Priority membership to Ubisoft account holders today, offering Nvidia’s game streaming service as a way to play Ubisoft games now that Stadia is no longer available. 

The Priority tier for GeForce Now typically costs $10 a month and includes streaming up to 1080p / 60fps, raytracing where available, and access to six-hour sessions with no cap (unlike the base tier which is limited to one-hour sessions). GeForce Now is one of the better streaming services available, and the Priority tier is sufficient enough for most users who want to stream to tablets or small-screen devices. The trial is issued as a promotional code and presumably isn’t limited to Stadia players as anyone with a Ubisoft account can access the promotional page.

Amazon’s Luna streaming service is also running a promotion, temporarily extending its usual 7-day free trial of its Luna Plus subscription tier to a two-month free trial for new customers (seen via 9to5Google). 

Amazon Luna Plus costs $9.99 a month to stream games at 1080p / 60fps. This is the main tier for Amazon’s Luna streaming service and permits users to stream on two devices simultaneously. There’s some familiarity for those mourning the loss of Stadia  — Luna Plus offers access to over 200 games and the service also has its own Wi-Fi-connected controller akin to Google’s Stadia Controller. Amazon Prime customers also get additional perks such as a rotating list of free games. Amazon Luna is currently only available in the US.

For those looking for something more substantial, GeForce Now provides increased resolutions and framerates at higher tier memberships. The Ultimate tier costs $19.99 a month, increasing play sessions to 8 hours and providing exclusive access to the fastest servers. Performance is bumped up to 4K / 240fps by playing through a “GeForce RTX 4080 Rig” which offers upgraded RTX 4080 performance (including DLSS 3 and max ray tracing).