Today, at its hardware 2020 event, Amazon had a bunch of announcements related to both hardware and services. On the hardware side, the company unveiled the all-new Echo, Echo Show 10, Fire TV Stick and Stick Lite, and new Echo Dot devices. For services, there were announcements related to the new Fire TV Experience and Luna. Luna is the company’s very own cloud game streaming service that will allow users to play games on any of their favorite devices, without having to worry about lengthy downloads and updates or the hardware powering the device. In addition to the gaming service, the company has also launched the Luna controller, which comes with Cloud Direct technology.
Amazon Luna
Amazon’s cloud gaming service has been rumored for some time now, and it adds to the existing tally of cloud-based gaming services. The service is built on AWS, and as per the company, the same will be refreshed over time to deliver consistent performance to the users playing games across different devices. Talking of which, the service allows users to play games on any of their favorite devices, be it Fire TV, PC, Mac, Windows, or web apps on iPhone and iPad. As of now, there is no support for Android, but it is said to be available soon.
With Amazon Luna, users can subscribe to the Luna+ game channel that has a library of games for different devices, with more games coming soon. At the time of launch, the service will offer action games like Resident Evil 7, Control, and Panzer Dragoon; adventure games like A Plague Tale: Innocence and The Surge 2; platformers like Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair and Iconoclasts; and also fan favorites like GRID, ABZU and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.
In addition to Luna+, Amazon has also announced a new gaming channel in partnership with Ubisoft, which will be available directly through Luna. The subscription will offer titles in 4K resolution, mobile gameplay, and access to new titles on the same day they release.
Luna Controller
While users can play Luna games using a keyboard and a mouse or a Bluetooth controller, those interested can get the all-new Luna controller from Amazon. The controller, which comes with Cloud Direct technology and is Alexa-enabled, connects directly to the cloud, which allows you to switch between screen without having to worry about configuration changes. Furthermore, to make the experience smooth, the Luna controller also features a multiple-antenna design that ensures uninterrupted Wi-Fi and low latency.
Amazon Luna and Luna Controller: Pricing and Availability
As part of an introductory offer, Luna will be available at a price of $5.99 per month. It competes with the likes of Google Stadia and Microsoft’s xCloud. Similarly, the Luna controller will also be available at an introductory price of $49.99 during the early access period. As for availability, interested customers in the US can request an invitation for early access to Luna today. But, as of now, there is no official availability date for the service.