All You Need to Know about Amazon’s Cloud Gaming Service
The gaming industry has long awaited the arrival of cloud gaming
platforms as a feasible substitute to the ways users play games currently. With
the announcement of Amazon’s cloud gaming service – the Amazon Luna, the world
seems to have taken one step closer to a cloud-based future.
Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming platform that allows users to
play their favorite games on devices they already own. The best thing about
this service is that users can easily play without waiting for lengthy
downloads or updates.
Continue reading to learn everything there is to know about
the all-new Amazon Luna.
About Amazon’s Cloud Gaming Service
Amazon Luna was first announced on 24th September
2020. However, the exact date still hasn’t been released.
Even though Amazon’s cloud gaming service hasn’t yet rolled
out, there are a couple of interesting things that we already know about it.
1 – Amazon Luna has a Channel-Based Subscription Model
Amazon Luna is going to have separate “channels” of games.
Every channel will provide users with infinite access to various publishers’
game libraries, for a separate monthly fee. With this approach, Amazon Luna
aims to allow publishers to have complete control over their games.
So far, Amazon Luna has only released two channels. These
include the Ubisoft channel and
the Luna Plus channel. Both of these channels are going to feature
approximately 50 games.
2 – Amazon Luna Is Compatible with Several Devices
A great feature of Amazon’s cloud gaming service is that it
offers a multi-platform experience. In simple words, this means that users can
run Amazon Luna on their MacBook, PC, iOS device, Android device, and even on
their Fire
TV device.
On iOS devices, Amazon Luna runs as a progressive
web application (PWA) i.e. it runs on a web browser rather than an app on
the Apple App Store. This is smart by Amazon, given that Apple has now started
to charge a 30% share in app revenues. Moreover, it even overcomes the
restrictions imposed by Apple on Stadia, xCloud, and other cloud-based
services.
3 – Amazon Luna is Going to be Integrated with Twitch and Alexa
Amazon is planning to integrate its cloud-based gaming
service the streaming platform of Twitch.
This move is a replication of Google’s recent collaboration of its gaming
service Stadia with YouTube Gaming.
The partnership of Twitch and Luna is most likely going to
enhance Amazon’s own game-publishing platform that is going to feature games
like New World.
Moreover, Amazon Luna is also going to be compatible with
Alexa. For instance, Alexa will now be able to accept voice commands via the
Amazon Luna controller.
4 – Amazon Luna is Powered by NVIDIA’s Hardware
Amazon Luna is going to be powered by Amazon Web Services
(AWS) and NVIDIA’s Graphics Processing Units (GPU). In contrast, Google’s and Microsoft’s
cloud-gaming services are both powered by AMD’s GPUs.
If Luna becomes successful, it could augment NVIDIA’s data
center business and boost its growth in the AI market.
5 – Amazon Luna Game List
Here is a list of all Amazon Luna games that have been announced
till now.
·
Resident Evil 7
·
A Plague Tale: Innocence
·
GRID
·
Metro Exodus
·
The Surge 2
·
Brothers: A Tale of Two Son
·
Iconoclasts
·
ABZU
·
Control
·
Yooka-Laylee and the
Impossible Lair
·
Panzer Dragoon
Moreover, Ubisoft will also be bringing its two major 2020
titles Watch Dogs Legion and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla to Amazon Luna. However,
it seems like users will have to may a little more to access these games.
Comparing Amazon Luna with Other Cloud Gaming Services
Over the past few years, several other companies including
Google and Microsoft have released their own cloud gaming services. Most of
these services have garnered mixed reviews, with some people liking them and
others not enjoying the experience so much.
The most infamous players in the cloud gaming category
include Google Stadia, Microsoft Stadia, and GeForce Now. So, here’s a
comparison of Amazon Luna with its major competitors so that you can better
decide which cloud gaming service you should subscribe to.
Amazon Luna Vs its Competitors
Luna Plus, which comes at an introductory price of $5.99 per
month will allow its users to stream games at 1080p at 60fps on up to two
devices at once. The Ubisoft which still hasn’t been priced will allow users to
stream games at the same resolution and frame rates. However, users will only
be able to stream games from this channel on just one device. The good news is
that Amazon is planning to introduce 4K streaming for both the channels very
soon.
In contrast, Google’s Stadia Basic version allows users to
stream games that they’ve already purchased for free at 1080p. The Pro version,
priced at $9.99 per month, provides users with a 4K gaming experience. It even
sometimes offers free games. A disadvantage of Stadia is that it’s a cloud-based
storage service for pre-purchased games rather than an all-you-can-play cloud
service.
Microsoft’s xCloud is going to be bundled with the Xbox Game
Pass Ultimate subscription at a monthly price of $14.99. Both xCloud and Game
Pass provide users with infinite access to 100+ games. However, Microsoft’s
XCloud is powered by Xbox One S hardware in Microsoft’s data centers. This
means that it’s going to have poor graphics and slower loading times than other
cloud-based gaming platforms.
GeForce Now has a free version that allows its users to
stream the games they have bought at 1080p in sixty-minute sessions. You can
even download some of the most popular free games including League of Legends,
Fortnite, and Destiny 2 if you don’t have compatible titles in your Epic Games,
Uplay, or Steam Libraries. The paid version of GeForce Now is priced at $4.99
per month. It increases the maximum time limit to 6 hours and provides access
to high-quality GPUs.
Last Few Words
We hope this article gave you a comprehensive insight into
Amazon’s cloud gaming service. If you like its features and are interested in
getting the service, you can simply place a request on Amazon’s website for an early
access invitation.
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