Amazon GameLift Servers vs Netcode for GameObjects

Amazon GameLift Servers is a paid service for deploying, operating, and scaling dedicated cloud servers for session-based multiplayer games. It supports managed EC2 fleets, managed container fleets, and Anywhere fleets using customer-managed resources. AWS says servers can run in 26 Regions and 9 Local Zones across five continents, with 99.99% availability, while autoscaling can launch thousands of servers and reduce unused capacity. FlexMatch matches up to 200 players using rules such as skill or latency. Enhanced DDoS Protection is enabled by default at no additional charge, and Player Gateway can hide server IP addresses through relays. Integrations include Unreal Engine, Unity, O3DE, C++, C#, Go, Pragma, Heroic Labs/Nakama, and AccelByte. Dashboards, logs, CloudWatch alarms, and telemetry integrations support operations. Player platforms include PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, mobile, web, and AR/VR, with cross-play on shared servers. New AWS customers may use the Free Tier for up to 12 months, subject to limits. Managed container fleets run on Linux only.

Netcode for GameObjects is Unity’s high-level networking library for synchronizing GameObjects and world data during multiplayer sessions. Unity describes it as suited to games with smaller player counts and less complex game logic, including adding multiplayer to an existing GameObject-based single-player game. Networking can use client- or server-authoritative models. NetworkBehaviour components use NetworkVariables to synchronize state and RPCs to send messages over the network. Integrated scene management is enabled by default and synchronizes scenes across connected clients. Unity Transport is the default transport, while Unity Relay can provide Relay networking for GameObject and MonoBehaviour workflows. Unity Multiplayer Services sessions are compatible with the package, which handles gameplay state replication after players connect. The package is free, but installation requires an active Unity account with a valid license, a supported Unity version, and an existing project. Supported platforms listed include Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, XR platforms on those systems, most closed platforms, and WebGL with specified package versions. There is no matchmaking functionality; developers must use third-party services for matchmaking. A full client-side prediction and reconciliation system must also be built by the developer.