Amazon Luna controller vs Google Stadia controller: What are the differences?

Last week Amazon announced its streaming service for games, called Amazon Luna. Priced at $5.99 a month, it’s to launch in October with around 100 games available, from ’Sonic Mania’ to ‘Control’.

It’s Amazon’s first foray into game-streaming after buying the video-streaming company, Twitch back in 2014. Now it looks like the two are going to be something symbiotic in the coming months and years.

Yet, eyes were going towards the controller of Amazon Luna. To some it looks like a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller but with a purple-colour-scheme.

With Google’s ‘Stadia’ service seemingly disappearing into the ether, we wanted to compare both controllers, just to see how they look side by side.

Overview of both controllers

At first glance, both controllers have a design lifted from the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. But the Stadia controller coming in a white finish with some orange undertones, while its DPAD is located opposite the four buttons.

There’s also four buttons here, each with their respective features of capturing content or calling upon Google Assistant. There’s also a ‘Stadia Button’ that will take you out of the game and into the Game Library, similar to Xbox and PlayStation.

Whereas with the Amazon Luna Controller, the DPAD is more curved, more sunken in to the design that could mean better control when playing in fighting games or even 2D games like Sonic Mania.

There are also four buttons here; one for Alexa, one for a ‘Menu’, another for a ‘Microphone’, and others for ‘Action’ and ‘Home’. But to reflect their ‘Echo’ devices and Alexa as a whole, a dark-grey and purple colour scheme takes over the controller, almost reflecting Twitch as well.

READ MORE: Amazon Luna Announced! Details here.

Differences between the Two

Even though their designs are very similar, there are some differences, from the colours to the placement of the buttons. But what’s most striking is the DPAD on the Stadia Controller. There’s been many comments on how it just doesn’t feel right for fighting games like Mortal Kombat 11.

But with the Luna Controller, the DPAD looks just right to be played with these games, and in a better placement on the peripheral as well, compared to the Stadia Controller.

Of course, you can use a Dual Shock 4 or an Xbox Controller on the Luna instead, but seeing as its very similar to the Switch Pro Controller, you may find yourself using this instead.

The Stadia Controller, has more spaced-out buttons on its ‘A B Y X’ buttons, which may require some change in muscle memory. Different spacing of buttons in any controller can be a hindrance, and it doesn’t help the Stadia Controller here.

We are under a month away from Amazon Luna launching, and we will be putting it through its paces to see how the service and the controller holds up against Game Pass, Stadia and the others.

READ MORE: REVIEW: Google Stadia 3 Months On.