Amazon announces its new cloud gaming service Amazon Luna

luna.JPG
A new competitor enters the console gaming market and it's none other than Amazon. During its hardware event today, the tech giant announced that it's entering the console gaming market with Amazon Luna. Rather than being a direct competitor to the PS5 or Xbox Series X, Luna is more of a competitor to Google Stadia. Like the latter, Luna is a cloud-based gaming service but is powered by Amazon Web Service (AWS) and is available on PC, Mac, Fire TV and web apps for iPhone and iPad (Android is planned for later). Games are playable with either Xbox One controller, DualShock 4 controller, mouse/keyboard or the newly announced Luna Controller; a controller apparently took some inspiration from the Nintendo Switch's Pro Controller, with the notable addition of a virtual assistant button:


controller 1.png

controller 2.png controller 3.png controller 4.png
While this service has been announced today, early access to Luna is available in mainland U.S. only and exclusively by invitation on its official website, which will be issued on a rolling basis. This early access is priced at $5.99 per month, streams at up to 1080p with select titles streamed at up to 4K resolution and supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The company recommends a minimum internet connection speed of 10 Mbps for streaming games and mentions a 35 Mbps connection required to play in 4K.

The Alexa-enabled Luna Controller goes for $49.99 during the early access period, and will be available for purchase only by those who have received an invitation to Luna. Amazon's controller connects directly to Amazon's cloud servers, allowing for lower latency and enabling players to easily switch between screens (such as Fire TV to mobile phone) without the need for additional pairing or configuration changes.

Amazon Luna will also feature Twitch integration which the company explains as follows:
“Inside the Luna experience, players will see Twitch streams for games in the service, and from Twitch, they’ll be able to instantly start playing Luna games.”

As part of the announcement, Luna+ was also introduced as "a growing library of new and favorite titles" that will host over 100 games. Launch titles will include Resident Evil 7, Control, Panzer Dragoon, A Plague Tale: Innocence, The Surge 2, Yooka-Laylee, GRID, Abzu, and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons; with more to be added "over time". Amazon also announced the Ubisoft channel, the first of additional gaming channels, which will include older and newer Ubisoft games like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. But no pricing was announced for this additional channel.

luna games.jpg

What do you think of the Amazon Luna? Do you think cloud gaming services will replace traditional gaming consoles? Share your thoughts below!

:arrow: Amazon Luna Official Website
 

Julie_Pilgrim

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shhhhh.... let people blindly think that Nintendo never copied others designs XD.

but seriously, seems like a good controller. I'm more interested in the service. only time knows
I mean yeah, I’m not denying it’s a copy, it’s just this one is more so a copy of the pro controller

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Modern day kids will never know what this is:





I guess you have never hit your thumbs with the PlayStation controller while moving both analogics.

I know what this is and I’m a modern day kid(thank you newgrounds), where’s my medal

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I lurk GBAtemp news and I believe I have never seen a positive comment from you, pretty impressive.
He once complimented Nintendo for taking down a porn game
 

stanleyopar2000

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Should have announced a You Tube replacement instead of a stadia competitor.... which will be dead in 2 years

The 4.99 a month fee makes me believe that it will NOT be a Netflix for video games. Just subscribe to gamepass or GeForce Now . This is going to be just like stadia where you have to pay for each game...and pay a monthly fee. No. thank. You.
 
Last edited by stanleyopar2000,

Lodad

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No mention of Steam integration like GeForce Now can do (no way am I paying for games on ANOTHER storefront), I can use any controller / MKB I want to use that way as well, and founders' pay plan for GFN is only $5 a month.
 
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The controller looks great, now, if only they can offer a one sub for all then that'll kill Stadia.

Well, Google will probably discontinue it sooner or later. I can't say I feel bad for the Stadia customers because they were warned.
 
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morvoran

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I mean, sure on the economic aspects, I guess, but either way, this is the customer taking it from behind by force and not by choice if they had their way. Personally, I think streaming is best via Steam, where its your games, its free, and if you can get it to work correctly, more power to you...but I have a HTPC setup for gaming, so I don't see much of a reason to go for streaming unless I'm in the bathroom, and even then, I'd rather just take my Switch, 3DS, or PSP Go with me instead.
I agree that we should always have ownership of the games we purchase and be able to buy hardware to play those games, but imagine being able to play Crysis on Ultra settings on a device like a PSP or Switch without lag/stutter. You won't be able to get 8k quality, but it can play Crysis.
 
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stadia competitor.... which will be dead in 2 years
Folks who spent and continue to will regret, but it's their fault. They were told how unreliable Google is and how often they discontinue services.

Buying a stream service game is just insane!

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I agree that we should always have ownership of the games we purchase and be able to buy hardware to play those games, but imagine being able to play Crysis on Ultra settings on a device like a PSP or Switch without lag/stutter. You won't be able to get 8k quality, but it can play Crysis.
Like OnLive. I remember I played some AAA racing game on Windows XP and what's funny is that my hardware wouldn't have been able to handle by itself. Streaming did.

OnLive is dead now. lol

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>it has the xbox analog layout
dropped
I don't mind the PlayStation controllers though the Xbox/Nintendo ones are much better for my hands as they're ergonomically comfortable.

Think the PS controllers were intentionally made for Japanese gamers so they have different habits than Westerners do.
 
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eyeliner

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For me, the point of interest is comparing the delivery between this and Stadia.

Amazon is relatively new in this cloud business, but they did grow fast.

Would be ironic that someone would topple Google at this.
 
Last edited by eyeliner,

orangy57

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why do they even try? Game quality will never look as nice for 2D games because of the bitrate, and even insanely good in-home streaming programs like Moonlight/Nvidia Gamestream still have a single frame of input lag. Even if your Fire TV is connected to ethernet, there will never be enough processing power in one of those little things to be able to decode 60 FPS, 10+Mbps footage within 5 milliseconds.
 
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The Real Jdbye

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This is already doomed to fail if it takes the same approach as Stadia. Nvidia has the right idea with GeForce Now. Even Project xCloud is pretty good as it gives you access to Xbox One titles. Only supporting titles specifically released for the platform means it's going to be playing eternal catch-up with consoles and PC, and no one wants to re-buy games on a cloud platform, or buy games they can only use on a cloud platform.
 
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Delerious

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More game streaming services... gross. Get ready for publishers to eventually start their own streaming services for their properties, just like we've seen in the film and television industry. EA Streaming Services anyone?
 
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laurorual

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They should launch it here in Brazil, we are in need of some cloud gaming service for a long time. Consoles and PC Parts are REALLY expensive right now, but our internet is cheap and basically all in fiber, so it's hard to find someone with bad internet.
The first service to launch in Brazil will become the standard one, for sure.
 
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Julie_Pilgrim

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for those that have the service but don't own that game.
No, I mean this is for people without powerful PCs, so why not just buy that game since it can run on pretty much anything? Like when just shapes and beats came to stadia, like don’t get me wrong, it’s a good game, but it’s not like you need a gtx 1080 to run the squares
 

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