Amazon is beefing up its experimental cloud-gaming platform Luna by introducing more games, a sleek new cooperative mode dubbed Luna Couch, and a family-friendly games channel.
Luna is a free game that is still in early access. However, if you want unlimited access to the service's more than 95 games, you'll have to pay $5.99 for a Luna+ membership. For $14.99 per month, you can receive unlimited access to 30 Ubisoft games with a Ubisoft+ membership, however new customers will see the price rise to $17.99 per month on September 30. Consider it a gaming a la carte service.
Luna, which is powered by Amazon's Web Services platform, allows players to play online games like bingo and poker (console and PC) games on low-powered devices such as smartphones, tablets, and non-gaming computers. It also allows gamers to play on devices that normally do not support most games, such as Apple's Macs.
However, Amazon isn't alone in the cloud gaming industry. Google's Stadia platform is available, but unlike Luna, you'll have to pay to play games on it. Ubisoft+ is a subscription service that grants you unlimited access to the publisher's games, but everything else must be purchased separately.
However, Stadia Pro, which costs $9.99 a month, gives you access to a library of free games as well as discounts on non-free titles.
Then there's Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming, which offers you access to over 100 games across Android, PC, Mac, and iOS devices. Microsoft's offer is $14.99 a month as part of its Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which is already a bargain for Xbox fans, and includes access to EA Play, which gives you access to titles from the publisher's vast library.
Despite this, Amazon has clearly prioritized Luna, as seen by the adjustments it has planned for the service. With its increasing library of games and cutting-edge features, it may be a serious competitor for Microsoft.
Luna's new Luna Couch feature is the most intriguing addition to the app, which is just a year old. The feature allows players to play classic local cooperative and multiplayer games, such as those that need friends to play in person on a single machine, online. The concept is sound, as there are a number of excellent local cooperative games that don't support online play, making it difficult to play with friends or relatives who don't live nearby.
Furthermore, Amazon claims that none of the people you play with will require a Luna membership. Simply give them an invitation in the form of a room code that they can input into the Luna app on compatible devices. It's a brilliant addition to the service, and one that I'm eager to see additional cloud gaming companies implement.
In terms of supported devices, Amazon has stated that Luna will now support a wider range of goods. Luna will now be accessible on Amazon's Fire tablets and Google's Chromebooks, in addition to PCs, Android devices, Macs and iOS devices, and Fire TVs.
Amazon is also launching a new family-friendly channel, appropriately named the Family Channel, as part of its expansion. The $2.99 a month subscription provides customers unrestricted access to more than 35 games rated E for everyone or E10+, which means they're meant to be played by kids. Amazon claims that the offerings will be accessible to parents who aren't gamers but want to play with their children.
Finally, Luna will be getting a new retro gaming channel with titles from Atari and SNK in the near future. However, there is no pricing for that as of yet.
To attract gamers, Amazon will provide a seven-day free trial of Prime, which will include access to "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard," "Metro Exodus," and "Katamari Damacy REROLL."
Play on Twitch
Twitch is where the world's finest broadcasters meet the world's most engaged gaming community, making gaming more social than ever before. Twitch is one of the most essential platforms for viewers to discover new games and experiences, and we believe cloud streaming will make that process much easier. Players will watch Twitch feeds for Luna games inside the Luna experience, and they will be able to start playing Luna games right away from Twitch.
With Cloud Direct Technology, the Amazon Luna Controller provides low latency.
Customers may use a keyboard and mouse, a Bluetooth gaming controller, or the brand new Luna Controller with Cloud Direct technology to play Luna. Luna Controller has a multi-antenna architecture that favors un-interrupted wifi for lower latency gaming and is Alexa-enabled. In fact, when we tested Luna Controller with Cloud Direct vs. Luna Controller through Bluetooth, we saw a reduction in roundtrip latency of 17 to 30 milliseconds on the PC, Fire TV, and Mac. Because the Luna Controller connects directly to cloud servers, players can simply transition between screens—for example, from a Fire TV to a mobile phone—without having to modify their pairing or setup. During the early access period, Luna Controller is available at a discounted price of $49.99.
