Amazon Luna is now officially available for those in the US. If you're an Amazon Prime member, that means you can jump into the service right now to try it out, at no additional cost.
But it's not all that simple, as there are actually a few different ways to use Amazon Luna, and not all of them are free. Still, if you're a Prime member, feel free to head on over to Prime Gaming to check out the first few games you can stream. Otherwise, stick around while I attempt to unravel the latest cloud gaming service, Amazon Luna.
What is Amazon Luna?
Amazon Luna has been in early access for over a year now, first launching in the US in late 2020 for the select users who opted in. It's now fully available, but for now, it's still just in the US. There's no word on when it will be available elsewhere, but here's everything you need to know about the service now that it's officially available.
Put simply, Luna is a cloud gaming platform that's been split into multiple optional segments, or 'Channels'. Most of these are pay to access, with the exception of one for Prime members. Your choices include the Retro Channel, Family Channel, Jackbox Games Channel, Ubisoft+, Luna+, and finally the Prime Gaming Channel.
Prime Gaming Channel is the most notable out of these, simply because it will offer Amazon Prime members a selection of free games to play on Luna that rotate each month. So you're not getting the full library of games that Luna+ or any of the other channels would offer, but at least it's something.
In March, Prime members will get access to Devil May Cry 5, Observer System Redux, PHOGS!, and Flashback. Immortals Fenyx Rising will also be available to play for free for a limited period from March 8-15 instead of the whole month.
When it comes to the paid selection of channels, you've got a few choices. The Retro Channel, costing $4.99/month, includes classic games like Street Fighter II, Metal Slug 3, and Castlevania Anniversary Collection. Whereas Luna+ includes some newer games like Control Ultimate Edition, Dirt 5, Sonic Mania, Ghostrunner, Call of the Sea, and more. Luna+ cost $5.99/month, and isn't included with Amazon Prime.
Is Amazon Luna Like Google Stadia?
Is some aspects, yes. You're paying a fee and can access a selection of games for no extra cost (like Stadia Pro). But, where it differs is that's the only way you play the games available. You can't purchase anything, and the main bulk of games are simply included in the Luna+ subscription - which is then further serviced by the additional Luna 'Channels'.
The best way to explain is to simply compare it to the Cloud Streaming portion of Game Pass. It's like that, games you can stream via the cloud, but split into different segments depending on your preferences.
If you want to get everything Luna has to offer, you're paying up to $18.96/month, or $36.95 if you include Ubisoft+. But again, it's still worth noting all this is all optional. Essentially, Luna is a pay for what you want cloud streaming service. You don't have to purchase any of the games, and you can cancel at any time.
Where Can You Play Amazon Luna?
Amazon Luna is currently supported to play on PC, Mac, Fire TV, Fire tablet, Chromebook devices and via web browser apps for iPhone, iPad and Android phones.
Amazon states that Luna can play games up to 1080p/60fps. This will heavily depend on what device your using, the quality of internet connection, and the current game you're attempting to stream. Amazon recommends a consistent 10/Mbs as a minimum for streaming at 1080p. If you can, you should also be using your router's 5GHz Wi-Fi band.
It's also worth noting that Luna includes a "Couch Mode". This means you can accept an invite code from a friend to play local multiplayer games like Overcooked 2, even if you aren’t a subscriber.
Amazon's Luna Controller
Similar to Google Stadia, there's a controller to go alongside the cloud gaming service. The Luna controller connects directly to Amazon’s custom game servers, and according to Amazon, this will reduce any latency from 30 to 17 milliseconds (compared to using Bluetooth). But, if you want to, you can still use this controller with Bluetooth on Windows PC, Mac, and Fire TV devices.
It currently costs just under $50 from Amazon directly, down from the initial $70 asking price. You don't need this controller to use Luna, however, and any connectable Bluetooth enabled controller should work on your devices. The only difference is that the corresponding buttons may not match up i.e 'X' and 'A' not matching a PlayStation gamepad.
For more on Amazon or cloud gaming, check out all the games coming to Xbox Game Pass in March (including xCloud), or find out how to avoid paying $139 a year for Amazon Prime.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
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