Amazon has announced it is launching a cloud-based streaming service known as Luna as the company continues its expansion into gaming.
Amazon Luna will include over 100 games at launch and is available on Fire TV, PC and Mac devices. Curiously, it will also run on iPhones and iPads, but will not be available on Android devices at launch. As with most game streaming services, you will not need to download, update, or install these titles to play them on your devices.
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A competitor to the likes of Google Stadia, Xbox Game Pass, and GeForce Now, Amazon Luna releases into an ever-growing streaming market that is fast becoming crowded. So how will Luna stand out from the crowd? Here's what we know.
Amazon Luna Early Access is NOW LIVE
Amazon's streaming service has now entered Early Access, as announced by the company on October 20.
Amazon reported that it had "received hundreds of thousands of requests for early access."
The company plans to start sending out Early Access invitations to those lucky few from the US to "help shape the future of gaming on Luna."
Once invited, Early Access players will gain access to Luna+. Luna+ has 50 games at launch, and will cost Early Access users $5.99/month. Aside from Luna+, Amazon promises that the Ubisoft Channel that would include Assassin's Creed Valhalla is also coming soon.
Early Access users will also be invited to purchase the Amazon Luna controller, which can be viewed here.
Amazon Luna's Early Access is currently only available in the United States, and while the first wave of users appear to have been chosen, you can still sign up for future tests here. As for the rest of the world, there is no official date for the streaming service's release, but we'll update this page when Amazon announces more.
Amazon Luna games
The key to any successful streaming platform is the library of titles it includes. Amazon Luna will include over 100 games from the likes of 505 Games, SEGA, Ubisoft, Capcom and Team 17 when it releases. These include:
- Furi
- Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
- Sonic Mania
- Control
- Grid
- Trails of Cold Steel 3
- Indivisible
- Blasphemous
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Everspace
- Resident Evil 7
- The Surge 2
- Steamworld Dig 2
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Rime
- Overcooked 2
- Metro Exodus
- Two Point Hospital
- Abzu
Alongside these titles, Amazon has partnered with Ubisoft to bring games such as Assassin's Creed: Valhallaand Watch Dogs Legion to the service. More games will be added to Luna after it launches.
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Amazon Luna price
During early access, Amazon Luna streaming will be available through Luna+ for $5.99/month. However, Amazon states that this "introductory pricing is only available during Luna early access", suggesting that the price could change when the product launches out of early access.
Rather than solely offering Luna+ as a streaming service, Amazon is creating different Luna game channels that will each offer different features and games. Aside from Luna+, Amazon will soon release a Ubisoft channel that will likely grant you access to just Ubisoft titles.
Curiously, both the Amazon channels shown off specify that they include "unlimited hours of play", suggesting that in the future the company may release channels that limit the amount of time you can play.
Amazon Luna features
Aside from a growing library of games, Luna will also include integration with another of Amazon's gaming platforms - Twitch.Luna subscribers will be able to go from watching Twitch streams to playing the games they watch instantly.
When you're playing games on Luna, you'll be able to stream them in 1080p/60fps, with Amazon promising that 4K is "coming soon for select titles."
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Where can I play Amazon Luna?
Amazon Luna will be available on the following devices at launch:
- PC (requires 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)
You will also be able to play games from Luna on Google Chrome for PC and Mac, as well as through the Safari browser for iPhone and iPad. By using Safari, Amazon is able to avoid the scrutiny of Apple's App Store rules, which have famously prevented Google Stadia and Xbox Game Pass from releasing on the devices.
To play games through Luna, you will also need a minimum internet speed of 10 Mbps, or 35 Mbps for 4K streaming. The cloud streaming can consume up to 10GB/hr of data when streamed at 1080p.
Amazon Luna controller
Alongside from the Luna streaming service, Amazon will release the Luna Controller, specifically designed for the cloud gaming service.
Powered by Cloud Direct technology, the controller will connect to Amazon's game servers directly, reducing latency to just 30ms. The controller also works with Alexa, allowing you to use voice commands to control Luna.
Aside from the Luna Controller, you can use a keyboard and mouse, Xbox One controller, or DualShock 4 controller to play these games.
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