Amazon has just announced Luna, its own game streaming service and its latest foray into dedicated entertainment platforms.
Luna functions similarly to Google Stadia in that it lets you play games on streaming devices without downloading or installing them. As you'd expect, it's powered by Amazon Web Services servers, which many multiplayer games use for hosting. Amazon is promising the ability to seamlessly change screens without losing progress or interrupting your gameplay session, and while Luna works with 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections, the company recommends a 10mbps internet connection at a minimum, and 35mbps for 4K streaming. You'll also want a data plan that can accommodate up to 10GB/hr (at 1080p). Note that 4K streaming will not be available universally, but is "coming soon for select titles."
Amazon Luna will enter early access soon, and it will be available on Windows 10 PCs, Mac, iPhone and iPad (via web app), and Fire TV devices when it launches, with Android support to follow. During early access, it will sport an "introductory price" of $5.99 month, but it seems this price may increase at some point in the future. Luna will initially only be available in the mainland United States, and US Amazon customers can now request an early access spot here.
The $5.99 subscription allows for 1080p/60FPS game streaming on up to two devices at the same time. In addition to a monthly subscription, Amazon Luna will also offer dedicated "channels" for games, with the first being the Ubisoft channel.
"Players who subscribe to this channel will have access to their favorite Ubisoft titles in up to 4K resolution, mobile gameplay, and access to new titles when the channel launches like Assassins Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6, and Immortals Fenyx Rising the same day they release," the company explains. "This is the first of multiple Luna game channels in development, where customers can play games from their favorite publishers and genres."
Several games have already been confirmed for Amazon Luna, with support from big studios like Ubisoft, Remedy, and Capcom, as well as many indies. Here are all of the games that have been listed by name or shown in Luna marketing materials:
- Abzu
- Assassin's Creed Valhall (at launch)
- Blasphemous
- Blazing Chrome
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Control
- Everspace
- Far Cry 6 (at launch)
- Furi
- Ghost of a Tale
- Grid
- Iconoclasts
- Immortals Fenyx Rising (at launch)
- Indivisible
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3
- Lumines Remastered
- Metro Exodus
- Obduction
- Overcooked 2
- Panzer Dragoon: Remake
- Paper Beast
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Redout
- Resident Evil 7
- Rez Infinite
- Rime
- River City Girls
- The Sexy Brutale
- Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
- Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
- Sonic Mania
- Steamworld Dig 2
- Steamworld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
- The Surge 2
- Tacoma
- Tennis World Tour 2
- Two Point Hospital
- Valfaris
- Watch Dogs Legion (at launch)
- Yoku's Island Express
- Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair
- Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
You can play games over Luna using a keyboard and mouse, a connected Bluetooth controller (with support for the DualShock 4 and Xbox One controller), or Amazon's new Luna controller. The Luna controller purportedly reduces input latency by "17 to 30 milliseconds among PC, Fire TV, and Mac" because it also connects directly to the cloud. The Luna controller will go for $49.99 during early access.
Between Google Stadia, Game Pass xCloud, and now Amazon Luna, cloud gaming is getting busy. With Luna coming soon, we may see it as part of the Amazon Prime Day deals.
