It was only a matter of time before Amazon would offer a streaming service for games, too, after Microsoft and Google have been on the move in this area for some time. Amazon has named the service Luna and officially introduced it on September 24, 2020.
Amazon Luna is currently only available in the US. Get an overview of the most important things you should know about the streaming service before it is also available in Germany with this article.
These games will be available
This is certainly the most important question for gamers before deciding to subscribe. Currently, Luna is still in beta and is only available to a small number of players by invitation.
At the launch there should be over 100 games that are available for retrieval. The games will be available via Luna+, one of the channels you can access. So far, only Ubisoft has been confirmed as a further partner in the gaming portals. You also have to subscribe to the Ubisoft+ channel.
The range of games is wide: you have access to games like Resident Evil 7, Control and Panzer Dragoon; but titles from smaller publishers are also available, including Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and The Surge 2.
Many of the games at Luna+ are not really new and have been available for a long time. Exclusive titles that have just been released are more likely to be obtained through other channels such as Ubisoft+. The appeal of Amazon Luna in terms of game selection will be the ability to stream established games via Luna+ and in parallel on the same for little money per month Platform to be able to play exclusive titles directly after the release via various channels.
Luna is available on almost all devices and operating systems
Luna can be used as an app on the PC (Windows 10), the Mac (OSX 10.13 and newer), as well as the Fire TV stick can be downloaded from Amazon. A launch on Android will follow later.
Alternatively, you can use the Chrome web browser to stream the games on PC and Mac. The iPhone is likely to offer a web app, as Apple doesn't allow an application on the App Store, and Microsoft's streaming service before it, as it's a direct competitor to Apple Arcade
In order for streaming via Amazon Luna to run smoothly, you need an internet connection of at least 10Mbit/s; for 4k content it should be at least 35Mbit/s.
You don't need a Luna controller
Similar to Google Stadia, there is a dedicated controller to buy. However, to play through Luna, you don't have to buy Amazon's controller, which costs $49. You can use an Xbox or Playstation controller (and any other Bluetooth controller) or play with a mouse and keyboard. However, it is not yet certain whether the new generation of console controllers will work.
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Protective cover for Luna Game Controller, soft... |
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However, the controller specially designed by Amazon offers advantages that speak in favor of a purchase. Low latencies should be possible and special functions should be available - among other things, it reacts to Alexa voice commands.
That's how much a subscription costs
The Luna+ Basic subscription currently costs $5,99 in the US. This is cheaper than other services. Xbox Game Pass for PC costs €5 and Ubisoft+ charges €9,99 per month. Amazon's streaming service is priced at the same level as Apple Arcade.
However, it is difficult to draw a definitive price-performance comparison because the streaming services follow different concepts. However, the first impression is that you get a good selection of different games for the monthly price.
Security and VPN
No release date is known for Germany and Europe. If you are now thinking about using a VPN to still get access: this is not recommended and it's proven not to work.
But you should consider a VPN for security when buying and streaming games. Hackers have already been able to hack the Playstation Store and Xbox Live, as well as the user accounts linked to them. Amazon Luna can also become an attractive target for cyber criminals.
It is therefore important that you encrypt your data when using streaming services such as Amazon Luna. With a VPN, you first send your data encrypted to a VPN server; only there are they decrypted and sent to the target server.
Often there is one VPN a free trial so you can be sure the VPN service will meet your needs. Because as soon as Amazon Luna starts in Germany, you should be optimally prepared to be able to enjoy the games with the best protection.
