Global retail giant Amazon dips into the cloud gaming service with Amazon Luna. The Luna will have a unique subscription-style compared to Stadia.
Amazon Luna will compete with other cloud services like Google Stadia and xCloud. Unlike Google’s Stadia, Luna will use a different style of service. While Google’s cloud service sets games sold separately, Amazon will use a “channel” style system.
New cloud gaming service will use “channels” bundle system
Luna works by combining different game bundles into a specific “channel.” Most of these channels will usually group titles via their developer or publisher. So far, Amazon has two channels confirmed: Luna+ and Ubisoft.
Luna+ will feature an eclectic mix of different games, from AAA to indie titles. These include Resident Evil 7, the Impossible Lair, Yooka-Laylee, Grid, and Control. It will also have Plague Tale: Innocence, and Panzer Dragoon.
The other channel confirmed to be in the works is the Ubisoft channel. It will provide different games from the French publisher. Fans can expect Far Cry 6, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, and even Immortals Fenyx Rising at launch.
The service will have a mouse, keyboard, and conventional controller support. Luna will also have an Alexa-enabled controller with a special feature.
According to Amazon, the controller “connects directly to the cloud to effortlessly control your game, featuring a multiple-antenna design that prioritizes un-interrupted wifi for lower latency gaming.”
“In fact, our testing showed a reduction in roundtrip latency when playing Luna Controller with Cloud Direct vs. Luna Controller via Bluetooth, with reductions of between 17 to 30 milliseconds among PC, Fire TV, and Mac.
Because the Luna Controller connects directly to cloud servers, players can easily switch between screens—such as Fire TV to mobile phone—without additional pairing or configuration changes.”
Luna+ channel will cost US$6, other channels sold separately
The addition of Amazon Luna offers more competition to both Stadia and xCloud. It will start supporting 1080p60fps at launch and have 4K support with select titles. Like anything Amazon, the app will have native Twitch integration.
Players can see streams that run on Luna, and Luna games are playable through Twitch. The subscription-style with this new service, however, is a hybrid between Stadia and xCloud.
Instead of paying for one game in full, players would need to pay and subscribe for an entire bundle. The Luna+ bundle, for example, will cost US$6 per month at launch. Other channels will cost separately and add on to the players’ bill.
Stadia has a library of games that players can enjoy for US$9.99 per month. xCloud so far has the best service. The xCloud, through the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, will cost $15 but offer hundreds of games.
Amazon Luna is yet to announce its availability across its customers. US customers can request Early Access on the Amazon website.
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