Amazon announced its foray into cloud video game streaming today with Luna, a new service that will let users stream games directly from their internet-connected device. It’s similar to services like Google’s Stadia and Microsoft xCloud, and IGN learned additional details in a media Q&A following the announcement.
Like similar services from Google and Microsoft, Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming service where, for a monthly subscription, users can stream and play games directly on their TV, computers, and smartphones.
Unlike Stadia where you have to purchase individual games on top of an additional subscription fee for more premium features, Luna is taking a page out of the Xbox Game Pass playbook and offers a subscription to a library of games called the Luna+ channel along with 4K streaming for $5.99 a month.
The channel system is Luna’s prime differentiating feature as Amazon also announced a Ubisoft channel which will come with the newest Ubisoft games on the day and date they launch. Amazon confirmed that the Ubisoft channel will require a separate subscription and that other channels are being planned for Luna currently.
Amazon said that channels won’t be limited to just publishers, though those are in the works too. One of the examples Amazon’s Director of Devices and Digital Initiatives Gabi Knight mentioned is an “RPG Channel” so these channels can be categorized by genre as well.
Vice president of Amazon’s Entertainment Devices and Services Marc Whitten said Luna, at least at this stage, is not about exclusives or first-party games but on lowering the barrier of entry for great games. This seemingly downplayed any direct connection with Amazon’s first-party development studio which is currently working on the MMO New World.
One particular platform Luna is available on that its competitors aren’t is iOS, but this is not as clear-cut as you think. Luna will be available on iOS devices, but not through a native app. Instead, Luna will be playable through the iOS Safari browser.
This is presumably for the same reason that xCloud and Stadia aren’t available on iOS devices, which is because of the restrictions from the App Store policy. Microsoft has even called Apple’s policy on game streaming “bad” for customers.
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Curious customers can sign up for the Luna beta starting today and Whitten says the first wave of invites will start going out in October. The Luna controller, which connects directly to the cloud to reduce latency, is available to order now for $49.99.
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Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Source: IGN.com Amazon Luna: Everything We Know About the New Video Game Streaming Service