Amazon launches its game streaming service called Luna, and here’s everything we know

Amazon has just launched its own cloud-based game streaming service called Luna to take on Microsoft’s xCloud and Google’s Stadia. At launch, Luna will be accessible on Fire TV, PC, Mac and via its own web app on iOS, but support for the Android platforms is also on its way. Just like xCloud and Stadia, Luna will let users play games on their phones, laptops and TV without requiring any dedicated Luna hardware. Right now, Luna is currently available on an invite-only basis only, and there is no word when it will be opened publicly. Additionally, it is exclusive to the US market at the time of writing this.

What do you need to play games via Luna?

To play games on Luna, all you need is a stable internet connection, a compatible game controller or mouse and keyboard, and supported PC, Mac, Fire TV, iPhone, and iPad. Amazon has launched its own wireless Luna controller as well that connects directly to the cloud and has a dedicated Alexa button as well.

Supported platforms

  • PC (Windows 10 with support for DirectX 11)
  • Mac (OSX 10.13+)
  • FireTV devices (Fire TV Stick – 2nd gen, Fire TV Stick 4K, or Fire TV Cube – 2nd gen)
  • Chrome web browser (version 83+) for PC and Mac
  • Safari web browser (iOS14) for iPhone and iPad

The Luna controller supports Bluetooth and USB standards for offline play on other devices, but not gaming consoles. It costs $49.99 during the early access period, but that is an introductory price. However, you can also use the Xbox One controller and Sony’s DualShock 4 controller to play games via Luna. 

How fast internet connection do you need?

Currently, game streaming is limited to 1080p at 60fps, but support for 4K game streaming for select titles will be enabled soon. Amazon says the minimum recommended internet connection speed for streaming games is 10 Mbps, and if you want 4K quality, the internet speed should be 35 Mbps or higher. And in case you’re wondering, Amazon’s game streaming service supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands. 

What games are available to play on Luna?

To play games on Luna, Amazon is launching dedicated channels that will host games from a particular genre, publisher or a combination of both. The first one is Amazon’s own Luna+ that has an introductory price of $5.99/month during the early access phase. Amazon says you can set up Luna profiles to play on two devices at the same time. As for the games, Luna+ will offer titles across a wide genre such as Resident Evil 7, Control, A Plague Tale: Innocence, The Surge 2, The Impossible Lair, Iconoclasts, GRID, ABZU and Panzer Dragoon to name a few.  

Amazon has also announced another channel named Ubisoft that will include games published under the Ubisoft label. The company promises support for 4K streaming and access to games such as Assassins Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6, and Immortals Fenyx Rising on their launch date. The Ubisoft channel for Luna is not live yet, and neither do we know how much it will cost. As mentioned above, multiple game channels from other publishers are also on their way to the Luna game streaming platform. 

Amazon will also let players watch Twitch streams on Luna, and they will also be able to instantly launch games while they are watching a stream. The service will also support voice commands via Alexa, and there is also a dedicated button on the Luna controller to summon the virtual assistant. Luna will allow game streaming via the company’s own AWS game servers. 

Source: Amazon Luna

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