Amazon entered the cloud gaming business with Luna in 2020, but the rollout has been gradual since then.
It took 18 months for the service to be available to the general public in the United States, and an additional year for any international availability. Even now, it’s only available in four countries.
Despite this, a competitor like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now can only be a good thing, especially with Google Stadia shut down. Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon Luna.
When was Amazon Luna released?
Luna was originally unveiled at Amazon’s event in September 2020, though the company didn’t say when the service would be widely available then.
In the end, it would be almost 18 months later. After an extended “early access” phase, Luna finally became available to the general public in the United States in March 2022.
A year later, in March 2023, the service launched in the UK, Canada and Germany. It is now available in all four countries and works the same as in the United States.
Amazon presumably still intends to make it available elsewhere, but it’s unclear when that might be.
How much does Amazon Luna cost?
Luna is available to everyone in the US, UK, Canada and Germany, with a basic Luna+ subscription costing $9.99/£8.99 per month. A 7-day free trial is also available.
But if you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can access some content without paying extra. A rotating selection of playable games changes regularly, so check Amazon’s website for the latest information – it should be the same in all countries.
If the Luna+ and Prime Gaming ranges don’t appeal to you, you also have the option of signing up for Ubisoft Plus. It costs $17.99 / £14.99 per month, but gives you access to big-name titles like Watch Dogs: Legion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Far Cry 6.
Both support up to 1080p resolution at 60fps, but you’re limited to one device at a time on Ubisoft+ while Luna+ supports two.
Other options include a subscription specifically for party games from Jackbox ($4.99/£3.99) and classic titles from the Retro channel ($4.99).
There’s also a $2.99 Family Channel, which offers a range of kid-friendly games and supports local co-op. Each of these subscriptions can work independently or be combined – you no longer need to pay Luna first to get Ubisoft+.
The Luna Controller, designed to be used alongside the service, is also available to everyone in the US and UK. It usually costs $69.99 / £59.99, and it can also be combined with a Phone Clip attachment in the US ($84.98). In the UK it’s sold separately for £12.99.
However, Luna also works with the Xbox One controller, DualShock 4 (PS4), or just a regular mouse and keyboard.
How to Join Luna
Now that Luna is no longer in Early Access, it couldn’t be easier. Simply go to the Luna page on Amazon US or Amazon UK and log in to your account. Then click on “Play for free with Prime” or buy one of the other subscriptions.
Like the full Prime subscription, you can cancel at any time.
Remember, this is only available if you’re in the US, UK, Canada or Germany – although you can get around this requirement with a VPN.
What do I need to play Amazon Luna?
One of Luna’s biggest selling points is the ability to “play on the devices you already own”. So far, the service is available on PC, Mac, Fire TV, Android (but not all devices), and iOS — the latter via a web app. It’s part of the ongoing early access period, with interested US customers signing up on Amazon’s website and then being invited to play.
As of this writing, the following Fire devices are compatible with Luna:
- Fire Lite TV Stick
- Fire TV Stick (2nd and 3rd generation)
- Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max
- Fire TV (3rd Gen)
- Fire TV Cube
- Fire TV Omni Series
- fire tv series 4
- Toshiba Fire TV Edition
- Insignia Fire TV Edition
- Fire 7 tablet (2019)
- Fire HD 8 tablet (2018 or 2020)
- Fire HD 10 tablet (2019 or 2021)
On the official support page, Amazon encourages users to ensure affected devices are updated to the latest version of Fire OS.
All other devices are still in early access. Android support is limited to the following devices at the time of writing, although Amazon intends to expand support over time:
- Pixel 3, 3XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4XL, 4a, 4a 5G, 5, 6, 6 Pro, 7, 7 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, Note 9, S10, S10 Plus, Note 10, Note 10 Plus, S20, S20 Plus, S20 Ultra, Note 20, Note 20 Ultra, S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, S22, Z Fold 3
- OnePlus 7, 7 Pro, 7 Pro 5G, 8, 8 Pro, Nord, Nord N10, Nord N100, 7T, 7T Pro, 7T Pro 5G
All Windows 10 or 11 devices with DirectX 11 is supported, while you’ll need a Mac from 2014 or later running at least macOS High Sierra. It’s possible to run Luna through a browser, but Amazon warns that “gameplay quality and other features may not work as expected.”
In August 2022, Samsung also confirmed that Luna is available on Samsung smart TVs and smart monitors released in 2022. This is done through the company’s new “Samsung Gaming Hub” platform.
On iPhone and iPad, you must use Safari on a device running iOS 14.
However, there is a requirement regardless of the device you are playing on. You’ll need at least a 10 Mbps internet connection, although Amazon recommends using an Ethernet cable or 5 GHz Wi-Fi whenever possible.
Although you can play Luna with a keyboard and mouse or any Bluetooth controller, Amazon encourages you to choose the dedicated Luna controller. It looks almost identical to what you’ll find on Xbox and will likely provide a similar experience. However, the Luna Controller has some extra tricks up its sleeve: Alexa integration and the ability to move seamlessly between devices.
Amazon Luna Games
Amazon Luna now includes a huge selection of different games. These vary depending on the subscription you choose, but full lists are available on Amazon’s website.
Games are added monthly, with new additions for Luna+ subscribers in May 2023 as follows:
- Tormented Souls
- Retro Classix: breakthrough
- Retro Classix: Express Raider
- Retro Classix: super real Darwin
- Retro Classix: Magician’s Fire
But if you’re just a regular Prime member, you’ll be able to access the following new games at no extra cost through Prime Gaming:
- LEGO DC Super-Villains
- Resident Evil 2
- Overcooked!
- Time on Frog Island
Learn about new games every month via Amazon’s official Luna blog.
All Amazon Prime members also have access to Fortnite, Epic Games’ popular survival game. You can access it via a Luna+ subscription if you prefer, but there’s no way to play for free. This is the main drawback compared to Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now, although the latter limits you to one hour per session.
Unlike the other titles above, Fortnite will be available indefinitely – it won’t leave the platform at the end of May. Almost all games on Luna also support cross-platform play, so you’ll be able to join forces with friends on another cloud gaming service, console, or PC.
Alongside the gaming lineup is integration with Twitch, the game-focused streaming service owned by Amazon. In the Luna “experience”, players see the option to watch a relevant Twitch stream, while there will also be the option to start playing directly within the Twitch app.
The official image below gives you an idea of the Luna user experience, with Twitch streams and screenshots embedded in each game’s main screen.
We’ll update this article if more details are revealed about Luna. In the meantime, check out our roundup of the best game streaming services to see what it’s up against.
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