Amazon Announces Cloud Gaming Service Called Luna

When Google announced Stadia, their cloud gaming service, which releases later this year after a prolonged beta, a lot of people questioned how significant of an impact cloud gaming will have on the game industry as a whole. Just recently, Xbox's Project xCloud moved into beta on Android for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. And while the longterm success of both of these services is still to be determined, their mission statement is clear: play the games you want, anywhere you want.

Now there is a new contender in the cloud gaming service arena, Amazon Luna. Luna lets you stream games directly off of Amazon's servers, meaning you don't need physical hardware (i.e. expensive consoles or gaming PCs) to run it. As long as you have high-speed internet, you are ready to play. Luna is currently only available by invitation, which users living in the US can request on their official site, and it isn't currently known when Amazon Luna will release for the general public, but here's what we know so far. 

Luna will be available on PC, Mac, Fire TV, and web apps for iPhone and iPad, and you'll be able to play using either the proprietary Luna controller, an Xbox One controller, a DualShock 4, or a good ol' fashioned mouse and keyboard. The Alexa-enabled Luna controller, which costs $49.99, connects directly to the cloud, allowing you to switch from screen to screen easily and play with low latency. Games will play at up to 1080p resolution at 60fps, with 4K capabilities to be released at a later date. It's important to note that a minimum internet connection speed of 10 Mbps is recommended to play with that number going up to 35 Mbps for 4K.

Speaking of games, in order to start playing, you'll need to subscribe to one of Luna's game channels. The main game channel available for the Early Access is called Luna+. The total number of games in the Luna+ library has not been confirmed yet, but it is believed to be over 100 titles, including Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Metro: Exodus, A Plague Tale: Innocence, Resident Evil 7, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, and more.  

It shouldn't be a surprise with how much Ubisoft supported Google Stadia in the past, that they also appear on Amazon Luna. But in order to have access to Ubisoft's library of games including Ultimate Editions and DLC for certain titles, you'll have to subscribe to the Ubisoft game channel. You can stream the games on PC, Mac, Fire TV, and web apps for iPhone and iPad, the same as Amazon Luna+. 

The early access to Amazon Luna+ costs $5.99 per month and lets you stream on up to 2 devices simultaneously. Meanwhile, there is no pricing information for the Ubisoft game channel and streaming is limited to only one device. They also make a note to mention that both subscriptions come with "Unlimted hours of play" possibly suggesting that some of the different subscription tiers will be limited in time. Although, it simply could just be a fancy way of adding another bullet point.