Game changing: Amazon launches cloud gaming service Luna

Seattle, Washington - After beta testing the platform for over a year, Amazon officially launched its new cloud-based gaming service Luna in the US on Tuesday.

Amazon's new service Luna is shaping up to be a game changer for cloud-based gaming.
Amazon's new service Luna is shaping up to be a game changer for cloud-based gaming.  © imago/Future Image

Cloud Gaming entails exactly what the title suggests: instead of using physical discs or cartridges to play video games on a console, gamers play digital copies that are streamed via "the cloud."

Amazon's Luna has taken the concept one step further by letting gamers play directly over the internet through various devices, as opposed to buying more expensive, individual systems.

Users will be able to play using the official Luna controller or any other game controller that can be connected by USB. The company said the service can be used on "supported PC, Mac, Fire TV, Fire tablet, Chromebook devices and web apps for iPhone, iPad and Android phones."

Amazon sued over tricking customers into subscribing to Prime
Amazon Amazon sued over tricking customers into subscribing to Prime

Luna is broken down into different channels that gamers can subscribe to, which each offer a wealth of titles.

The Prime Gaming Channel, which is automatically included for all Amazon Prime members, will initially include popular titles like Devil May Cry 5 and Flashback, and will cycle games in and out each month – similar to how Prime Video features movies and TV shows.

The Luna+ Channel will feature newer games like Ghostrunner and Dirt 5, but will cost users an extra $5.99 per month. Other channels are also available at varying prices, and the service promises more to come in the future.

A downside is that Amazon has not yet announced when the service will be implemented in other countries, making international gameplay a non-starter for now.

Cloud and digital-based gaming will probably be the norm in the near future, as tech giants like Google and Microsoft are also competing to get ahead of the curve. In witnessing its early stages, it will be exciting to see how the tech develops into something truly game changing.

Cover photo: imago/Westend61

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