Amazon Luna is a

cloud gaming Cloud gaming, sometimes called gaming on demand or game streaming, is a type of Online game, online gaming that runs video games on remote Server (computing), servers and Streaming media, streams the game's output (video, sound, etc.) directly to ...

platform developed and operated by

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

. The platform has integration with Twitch and is available on

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, Mac, Amazon Fire TV,

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(as a

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) as well as Android. Games and channels from brands such as Ubisoft+ and Jackbox Games are accessed via the Luna+ paid subscription. Luna uses the

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operating system and Nvidia Tesla T4 graphics cards from

Amazon Web Services Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Amazon that provides Software as a service, on-demand cloud computing computing platform, platforms and Application programming interface, APIs to individuals, companies, and gover ...

for streaming games, and is available in the United States, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom, Sweden, Portugal, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Luna's competitors include other cloud gaming platforms like Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation Plus cloud streaming, and GeForce Now.

History

Luna had a soft launch with

early access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release Software release life cycle, developm ...

to invited subscribers only on October 20, 2020. In its early access state, Amazon Luna featured about 100 different games combined with an introductory price of $5.99 a month. Luna subscribers have access to

Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...

and

Epic Games Epic Games, Inc. is an American Video game developer, video game and software development, software developer and video game publisher, publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney (game developer), Tim Sween ...

titles the same day they release through their respective channels. The Ubisoft+ channel costs an additional $14.99 per month. The Epic Games titles, such as '' Fortnite'' are free, but require purchasing a copy of a game.

Features

Games

Luna has a library of over 100 games that can be accessed with the purchase of a subscription.

Controllers

Luna supports control through keyboard and mouse, the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller and the DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers. The Luna Controller is an optional accessory at the additional cost of $59.99. The controller has dual analog sticks, a D-pad, two sets of shoulder buttons, four main A/B/X/Y face buttons, three other face buttons (Action, Menu, Microphone), and the home button (represented by the Luna symbol). The color of the controller is black. A microphone is built in, which supports

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. The controller can connect through

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Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is li ...

, or a

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cable. USB connections can be used on Windows, Mac, Android, and Chromebook. iOS devices do not support USB OTG, and can only connect to game controllers over Bluetooth.

Reception

In a review of Amazon Luna in March 2021, a CNN article praised the service for its lower price compared to Stadia and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and praised its user interface, while criticizing occasional lag issues and its initial game lineup. A review from

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criticized the channel setup, arguing that those who want the full experience will end up paying more than for similar services. The review remarked that the service feels misguided, with an unclear target audience, and considered it too impractical to recommend to consumers. However, it also stated that it may be a good replacement to a console for people who prefer using subscription services.

Availability

, Luna is available to subscribers in fourteen countries worldwide, which are listed in the table below. Guests who do not have a subscription are able to join Luna Couch sessions hosted by subscribers to play local co-op games.

References

External links

*
Web Application Website
{{Portal bar, Internet, Video games 2020 in video gaming Amazon (company) Cloud gaming services Online video game subscription services