Amazon Luna Review
Does Amazon's cloud gaming service challenge the status quo?
Verdict
With too many subscriptions and too few games in return, alongside a cloud streaming infrastructure that is subpar to the expectation of this technology, Amazon Luna has a long way to go before it can really make a name for itself.
Pros
- No queuing
- Prime customers gain limited access for free
Cons
- Performance is lacking
- Too few games
- Too many subscriptions
- Luna controller disconnects a lot on mobile
Key Features
- Support for multiple platformsSeamlessly switch between PC, mobile and Fire TVs and contunue playing your game.
- Over 100 gamesGames such as Batman: Arkham Knight, Sonic Mania and Resident Evil 2 included in main subscription.
- Amazon Luna controllerAmazon offers the Luna controller, which is specifically designed for cloud gaming.
Introduction
Facing sharp competition, it’s an uphill battle for Amazon Luna as the latest cloud game streaming service to hit the market.
Available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the US and Canada, more than 100 titles can be accessed via its three subscriptions, with Prime members also getting in on the action for no extra cost.
That’s a great incentive for anyone already signed up or curious about streaming games across PC, mobile or Fire TVs. Its versatility is definitely one of its strongest assets while its streaming quality is certainly its weakest, creating a mixed-to-poor experience that makes me question who Amazon Luna is really for.
Pricing
- Anyone who subscribes to Prime gets base Luna for free
- Luna+ provides more games and costs £8.99/$14.99 per month
- Need to pay extra for Ubisoft+ and Jackbox Games
Anyone who owns an Amazon Prime membership gets access to Luna for free. That subscription costs £8.99/$14.99 per month or £95/$139 per year. Students can get it slightly cheaper at £4.49/£7.49 per month or £47.49/$69 per year.
If you are just interested in Luna alone, there are three pricing options:
- Luna+ – £8.99/$9.99 per month
- Ubisoft+ Multi Access – £14.99/$17.99 per month
- Jackbox Games – £3.99/$4.99 per month
In total, you’re looking to pay £27.97/$32.97 per month to gain access to the full suite of games available on Amazon Luna. That’s significantly higher than cloud competitors GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass (which throws in the cloud beta) but does give you more choice over what titles you want to pay for.
An Amazon Luna controller can also be purchased for an RRP of £59.99/$69.99. This is the same cost as a PS5 DualSense and Xbox Wireless Controller, so nothing outlandish.
Games
- Base Luna only provides seven games, including Fortnite
- Amazon Luna+ offers access to 100+ games
- Ubisoft+ unlocks further 40+ games
By playing Amazon Luna via a Prime membership alone, only seven games are made available with Fortnite being the main draw. Unless you’re happy playing the battle royale alone, this is never going to suffice.
An Amazon Luna+ subscription offers access to a library of over 100 games (specifically, 104 by my count) with the line-up rotating on a monthly basis.
Some highlights include Batman: Arkham Knight, Resident Evil 2, Control, Devil May Cry 5, Sonic Mania, Skatebird and Alien Isolation. While there are certainly some fantastic titles here, it’s far from an inspiring collection for anyone who plays games regularly. In fact, there’s a good chance you will have played the biggest releases here or purposely skipped them on launch.
Ubisoft+ Multi Access unlocks another 40-plus titles taken from the French developer’s library, such as the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Tom Clancy and Watch Dogs series. Again this is totally dependent on whether Ubisoft games are the one for you, though there are thousands of hours to be had from this collection.
Finally, the Jackbox Games subscription gets you a dozen party games that will make for some fun nights with friends, but lack any depth for people looking to get their money’s worth. That’s why it’s the cheapest subscription of the lot.
Performance
- Requires 5GHz Wi-Fi for optimal performance
- Cloud streaming performance is subpar
- Luna controller helps to reduce latency
Amazon Luna recommends an ethernet or 5Ghz Wi-Fi to obtain the best performance, but realistically that’s not always at one’s disposal. With an internet speed of 67.9mbps download 5.39mbps upload, every game was certainly playable, but substandard to what I would expect.
Spending a good few hours in Fortnite, the frame rate struggled to keep up quite frequently. To my shock, I somehow won a match of Fortnite (honestly I’m not that good) but could never imagine any serious competitors ever picking this option.
Aside from the online multiplayer competitive space, Hot Wheels Unleashed and Sonic Colors gave me a chance to see how Luna performs in an offline single-player experience, and sadly it’s not the best. Again, I’d like to stress it’s certainly playable, just not optimal. Whenever reaching high speeds in either title, frame rendering would get increasingly blurred making it hard to react to oncoming obstacles.
One positive I will say is that the queue time was virtually nil whether I played morning, afternoon or evening. The ability to jump into a game within minutes and without any downloads or updates is not to be overlooked, either.
The Luna controller itself is pretty good on PC, not that dissimilar from the Switch Pro controller. It works through its own Wi-Fi connection, apparently reducing latency by 17 to 30 milliseconds. It has a decent build quality too, with low-friction thumbsticks that are a delight.
However, I’ve had a rough time using the controller when playing on mobile. It frequently disconnects from Amazon’s Cloud Direct making the whole experience painful. As there is no mobile app either, Luna works solely through a Chrome Browser but again is lacking from a performance point of view to challenge anyone considering this option.
Note: I don’t own a Fire TV so was unable to test that particular experience but would assume a similar outcome.
Software
- Great UI, making it easy to find games
- Allows you to play couch multiplayer
- Twitch integration
Luna’s UI is very slick. What I appreciate most is its simplicity, displaying its titles in rows of windows similar to that of Prime Video. Finding a particular game or perusing through different genres is a breeze.
Being able to filter by Metacritic rating is a nice touch too, so you can have some confidence in the game’s quality. The option to play local couch co-op (regardless if friends have a subscription) alongside Twitch integration to get broadcasting near-instantly makes for smart additions too.
Similarly, setup only takes a few minutes and is done through the browser and Luna Controller app. You also have the option of using a PS4 DualShock, Xbox One and regular mouse/keyboard along with certain third-party controllers.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
If you have an Amazon Prime subscription and play games casually
If you solely play games for the likes of Fortnite as well as the odd Assassin’s Creed but also happen to own a Prime membership, this is a flexible way to stream on PC, mobile and Fire TVs.
If you are serious about gaming
Luna is just not up to the standard of its competitors with a lack of streaming quality and an unappealing selection of games for anyone that plays games frequently. GeForce Now or Xbox Game Pass are better choices.
Final Thoughts
If looked at as more of an add-on bonus than a standalone, Amazon Luna can make for a handy way to play the likes of Fortnite pretty much without delay. It’s for everyone else that I question its value.
While its streaming quality gets the job done, to an extent, it’s a far cry from GeForce Now accompanied by a lacklustre collection of games and too many subscriptions that are simply not worth what you get in return. In a few years, it might be there, but right now, Luna is a half-baked vision for cloud streaming.
How we test
We test every video game streaming service we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Played multiple games on the service.
Tested cloud streaming on average UK broadband connection.
Tested all available settings.
You might like…
FAQs
Yes, those who own a Prime membership gain access to Amazon Luna with a small selection of games headlined by Fortnite. This is available in the UK, US, Canada and Germany.
Amazon Luna launched for UK residents in March 2023. Those subscribed can stream games via the cloud across PC, mobile, tablets and certain Fire TVs.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
