Amazon ‘Luna’ Lands for Early Access

Though it was an event accompanied by much less fanfare than a lunar landing by NASA or another space agency, Amazon’s new cloud gaming platform, Luna, touched down on Oct. 20 with its early access period.

Amazon is the latest power player to plant its flag in the burgeoning cloud gaming market, as it seeks to carve out a stake in a space already occupied by Google’s Stadia, Microsoft’s xCloud and Nvidia’s GeForce Now.

So what’s Luna promising to do different with early access underway?

Channels

While Microsoft is offering an experience akin to a Netflix for game streaming, Luna will package its service a bit more like a cable package. With an early access invite, you can get access to 50 games for just $5.99 amounts.

Don’t like basic cable? Well, you’ll be able to add more packages, “channels,” to your subscription. The first of which is Ubisoft’s channel, which will be sure to include the latest from its flagship franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs and maybe even Just Dance.

We’re keeping our ears open to learn about other channels. Will EA bring it’s sports franchises and Battlefield shooter franchise. Will Microsoft, the new owner of western RPG heavyweight Bethesda, allow us to play Fallout and the Elder Scrolls on Luna? Can Activision be compelled to bring a channel online?

Remote Control

Not all that different from the cloud-connected Stadia controller, Luna’s gamepad will connect directly to Amazon’s cloud service to minimize the input latency – that time between a button press and the corresponding action on the screen.

The controller comes in at a competitive $49.99, which is about $5 less that the currently discounted Stadia controller.

Welcome Luna!

We’re glad you’re here. Your entry should make for a truly exciting 2021, which is when we expect to see your final form.

There’s enough room in our hearts here at Cloud Believer for you and all that you promise, as well a Stadia and all the others.