Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular games, has also become a de facto test of the public’s interest in streaming games like YouTube or Netflix. It’s completely free to stream from Nvidia’s GeForce Now or Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming to almost any device you own, no download and no paid subscription required.
Today Amazon Luna joins them. “Fortnite is the most requested game by Luna customers in the US and we are excited to bring the title to the service,” read a statement from Amazon Devices and Services VP Daniel Rausch.
Unlike its competitors, Amazon shall needing a paid plan to get started – albeit one you may already be paying for.
You can stream Fortnite free with the same Amazon Prime subscription you may already be using for free shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music and so on. While he originally told us it would only be for the month of May, Amazon’s outside spokesperson Eric Nielsen now tells EntertainmentCab that “Fortnite will be a Prime Gaming offer indefinitely, so it will always be free to to play for Prime members.”
Or you can pay $9.99 per month for a Luna+ subscription (the first seven days are free). Just know that the Luna+ catalog of games wasn’t very big last time we checked. (Note: Nvidia limits free accounts to an hour per session, so it has its own caveats.)
Regardless of how you feel about a subscription, I like that it’s getting easier and easier to compare cloud gaming services and see what reliable streaming can deliver to your home. You could try Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia’s offerings all in one day on your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, handheld, etc. And you only have one trial to cancel if it doesn’t work. All of these services have weaknesses, so it’s a good idea to try them out before you buy.
Just know that the free tiers of these services aren’t quite representative of the paid experience, which could be better, especially with Nvidia. I wish it had a free trial of the 3080 or 4080 tier to show you.
Correction, 11:07 ET: While an Amazon representative confirmed last night that it would only be available to Prime members during the month of May, they are now saying that was wrong and it will be available to members indefinitely.