Amazon Luna cloud gaming service is currently in early access available to the USA and offers Luna+ and Ubisoft+ subscription channels.
Amazon has become a virtual store to buy diapers for kids but has become a conglomerate of companies that provide services and products for our online and physical day-to-day lives. Amazon has even branched out to various digital content streaming services under their “Prime” belt with Amazon Prime Video streaming, Amazon Prime Music, and Audible for streaming your books to your ears. They have also stepped into the gaming industry by acquiring the streaming platform Twitch. And naturally seeing the potential of cloud gaming services like Google’s Stadia, Amazon has come up with Amazon Luna. A cloud gaming service to rival Google’s cloud gaming efforts Stadia clouds gaming service and Microsoft’s xCloud services. Both allow subscribers to play and cloud stream AAA game titles on just pretty much anything with a screen, decent hardware, and an operating system.
Today, cloud gaming adoption is slow because it requires stable and fast internet connections on the user’s end and large data centers build by companies for hardware servers, which subscribers will need for stable streaming quality. Still, what Luna brought to the table when released in October 2020
will have to see how the service will perform. Here is what you need to know about the game streaming service, Amazon Luna India release data, launch games, where you can cloud stream, and more.
What is Cloud Gaming?
Cloud gaming is a streaming service where subscribers can play AAA desktop-class game titles in varying resolution and FPS depending on the service, internet connection, and streaming device without the need to invest in expensive PC hardware. The horsepower needed to stream AAA titles is fulfilled by the company’s serves when it comes to cloud gaming services.
Amazon Luna Cloud Gaming Subscription and Available Game Channels
Amazon Luna takes the cloud gaming service with the Amazon Prime Video subscription base model, where players can choose monthly gaming subscription pass or channels so to speak by individual developer studios or third party providers like Ubisoft subscription channel or the premium Luna+ with additional subscription benefits like high-quality streaming and much more to come from the streaming service.
Amazon Luna game channels feature various game titles from different genres. Still, this model may be costlier than the competition, as someone might not be interested in all the games in a selected game channel, so they might have to buy another subscription channel pack, and the loop may continue for a while. It does not allow players to curate their own game library.
Currently, as of 27th of July, 2021, Amazon Luna is under early access, and for players who wish to subscribe to a game channel, there are two game channels currently available for early access in the US only.
You can either subscribe to Luna+ subscription or Ubisoft+
Luna+ Price and Benefits:
- Price: 5.99 Dollars/Month.
- Unlimited access and hours of play for the month.
- A growing library of available games to stream, and currently available Control, Grid, and Metro Exodus.
- Streaming quality up to 1080p/60FPS and 4K resolution coming soon.
- Can stream on two devices at a single time.
- Play on a PC, Mac, Fire TV, and Web apps for iOS devices and selected Android phone.
Ubisoft+ Price and Benefits:
- Price: 14.99 Dollars/Month.
- Unlimited hours of play for the month.
- Up to 1080p/60FPS streaming and 4K resolution coming soon.
- Stream on any compatible device one device at a given time.
- Play on a PC, Mac, Fire TV, and Web apps for iOS devices and selected Android devices.
- Download a PC version of games and more through the Ubisoft Connect App.
Which Devices Support Amazon Luna Cloud Gaming Streaming?
The Luna cloud gaming service can be streamed on Amazon’s Fire TV compatible devices such as the Amazon Firestick Gen 2, inbuild Fire TV Os, Mac (Safari browser and OSX 10.13 and newer), Windows PC (Chrome and support with DirectX 11 or newer), and iOS devices through web applications workaround.
At the moment, only a few selected Android devices are compatible with early access. More Android devices will soon be added to the compatible device roster of devices after the official launch of the cloud gaming service throughout the globe.
Which Controllers Can You Use With Amazon Luna?
Although the Amazon Luna cloud Gaming is currently under early access, subscribers can use any Bluetooth gamepads like the Play Station Dual 
Shock 4 controller. But, they also offer an Amazon Luna Game Controller for 49.99 USD, which connects directly through Wi-Fi and to their servers, which reduces game latency lag and enhances the game streaming experience with smooth, responsive times.
The Luna Controller has a standard X, Y, A, B layout with off-axis joysticks. Overall, the foot-print is similar to the Xbox One gamepads, but the Luna controller has a better-textured grip area for a comfortable gaming experience. For connectivity, the gamepad uses Cloud Direct technology for reduced latency of up to seventeen to thirty milliseconds.
For creature comfort features, the Luna Controller has a microphone for Alexa and uses 2 AA batteries.
Amazon Luna India Release Date
The streaming service currently is in early access to the US region, and there will be more regions available after the official release. There is no official release or information on when the service will arrive in India.
Final Words
Seeing the scalping, hoarding, and high import rates of new next-generation consoles and PC hardware, cloud gaming services like The Gaming Project, which is an Indian brew of cloud gaming and a possibility of Amazon Luna coming to India, solve a few major gripes of AAA gaming with cheap monthly subscriptions, a large selection of game library and pick up and go gaming from couch to on the go game streaming through mobile devices.
Amazon’s independent cloud gaming Luna streaming service is under early access invites only, but it may be the best go-to choice for cloud gaming for casual as well as hardcore gamers who want to take their games with them on mobile devices with gaming channel subscriptions and web apps that won’t take up valuable mobile memory space on iOS and Android devices in the near future, which Microsoft xCloud and Stadia have not been able to figure out with Apple’s App Store policies. And for the couch gamers, the ability to switch screens on two devices, they can sweat out their intense gaming sessions on a potato PC and have a relaxing time with the family on the large screen playing OverCooked2 with family and friends on the weekend.
