Amazon is set to step into cloud gaming, with Luna, which it describes as a kind of Netflix for games. The platform comes with a library of 100 titles and users can play with a special controller.
This will definitely toughen up competition for Microsoft and Google which recently launched their own cloud gaming products. But Amazon brings a difference. It is launching channels for a range of publishers for which users have to pay a monthly fee or subscription. According to CNBC, only Ubisoft and Amazon have been confirmed as companies included in that offering so far, with Luna+ channel priced at $6 per month. On Apple devices, Luna will only be available as a web app because of restrictions within Apple’s App Store, which has also been faced by Microsoft and Google.
It offers a number of games like Resident Evil 7, Control and A Plague Tale: Innocence etc. The platform assured quality up to 4K with 60FPS for some games. With Luna+ gamers can play on two devices at a time. Moreover, the platform in collaboration with Ubisoft will be offering its own game streaming channel through Luna. This will give access to new games such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6 and Immortals: Fenyx Rising.
George Jijiashvili, senior games analyst at Omdia, pointed out that Amazon lacks the core games business something that has been a huge hurdle to overcome for Google Stadia. Amazon has a wealth of experience in cloud infrastructure, but this does not guarantee success, he said. Whilst Amazon Web Services (AWS) is clearly a huge advantage, this is only one dimension of the final offering, and the emerging features, content, Twitch integration, and monetization models will determine the uptake of the service.
Overall, Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming service that’s meant to take advantage of the devices the gamer already owns, so the company isn’t really producing dedicated hardware for it. The Amazon Luna Controller is an Alexa-enabled controller which connects directly to the cloud service for a lower latency experience.
