Amazon said on Tuesday that its cloud-gaming platform Luna is now available to everyone in the United States. Since 2020, the service has been in an invite-only beta. It comes with several new features and subscription options.
Luna is essentially the same as Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now, or any other cloud-gaming platform. You don’t need the latest and best technology to play the games because they’re streamed from high-end servers. One of the main selling features is that games can be played on any platform, including smartphones and Fire TVs. The pricing structure of Luna is what sets it apart.
Stadia, for example, offers a free tier with basic service and a premium subscription with additional capabilities such as 4K. Both have access to a free gaming library that rotates in and out monthly. A more extensive selection of games is available for purchase, just like Steam or any other digital marketplace. Games that have been purchased can be streamed at any time by the subscription.
The Luna concept is unique because it provides a variety of smaller libraries known as “channels,” each with its subscription fees. As a result, users can essentially design their own service à la carte.
Luna+ has been Luna’s primary channel since the beginning. For $5.99 each month, you have access to 115 games from various genres. Later, for $17.99, it introduced the Ubsoft+ collection, which includes a rolling slate of old and new Ubisoft titles. Then, the company launched a $2.99 per month family subscription with 44 kid-friendly games.
Luna has expanded its membership options in time for today’s formal US launch, introducing three more channels: Prime, Retro, and Jackbox Games. Amazon Prime members may access the Prime Gaming channel for free, but it only contains a small selection of games from paid memberships for a limited period.
For example, Photogs, Devil May Cry 5, Flashback, and Observer: System Redux are all accessible from March 1 to March 31. The Gold Edition of Immortals Fenix Rising will be released on March 8. However, it will only be playable until March 15. The King of Fighters ’98, Amnesia Rebirth, Tracks Toybox Edition, and Mortal Shell are available in April.
The other two channels, Retro and Jackbox Games are $4.99 per month and contain exactly what their names suggest. Another World, Pong, Bloodrayne, and Missle Command are among the 46 oldies and throwbacks available on Retro. The You Don’t Know Jack party games are featured on the Jackbox.
Amazon has several new features for the platform and channel growth. It has, predictably, incorporated seamless Twitch integration. With only one click, you may start streaming to your Twitch channel.
The “Luna Phone Controller” is the second feature. Subscribers may play Luna on Fire TV with the free controller app for iOS and Android phones. A dedicated Luna controller is already available for $50. The service is also compatible with Xbox and PlayStation controllers. The app gives people who don’t have access to a physical controller to at least try out the service before committing. Last but not least, Amazon announced that Luna+ and the Family channel would be experiencing price increases. Luna+ will cost $9.99 per month beginning April 1, and the Family will cost $5.99.
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