If the world of video game streaming was a game of poker, Amazon has just put an “all-in” book on the table. While we all considered Xbox Game Pass to be the undisputed king of subscriptions, Amazon has made a splash with its Luna service this caught many off the wrong foot.
The company decided open a very interesting part of your catalog to all Amazon Prime users at no additional costAnd no, we’re not talking about smaller filler games. We’re talking about a complete ordeal that puts within the reach of millions of people – even those who are taking advantage of Prime’s free trial month – authentic Triple A bombs like Hogwarts Legacy or the long awaited Kingdom Come Liberation 2.
It’s an aggressive maneuver that eliminates the entry barrier in one fell swoop: You no longer need to buy a 500 euro console or a high-end PC to play the latest games. You just need your usual subscription and a screen.
Amazon Luna remote control
The official controller for Amazon’s streaming service has Bluetooth and WiFi and is ideal for playing on PC as well.
39.99 euros
*Some prices may have changed since the last version
You can play on just about anything with a screen and an internet connection: your old laptop, tablet, cell phone, or the living room TV if you have a Fire TV Stick or compatible Smart TV.
And while the service is open enough to let you use whatever Xbox or PlayStation controllers you have at home, Amazon has thrown out an irresistible lure for you to switch to its full ecosystem.
They reduced their official command, the official Amazon Luna command, to 39.99 euros. We are talking about a brutal discount for a peripheral that, in terms of construction quality and technology, is on par with the competition’s 70 euro controls.
But why would you want to buy this controller if you already have another one? Here’s the technical secret that makes Luna work so well: Cloud Direct technology. TO Unlike a regular Bluetooth controller that connects to your TV or PC, the Luna controller connects directly to your WiFi network.
This means that the controller communicates directly with Amazon servers in the cloud, avoiding the middleman. The result is a drastic reduction in latency, that small delay between pressing the button and the character jumping, which is the great enemy of cloud games.
It has an asymmetric distribution of the joysticks and a textured grip. Plus, it’s designed for modern multi-screen living: You can start a game on your living room TV, pause, go to your bedroom, and continue on your iPad, and the controller will switch from one device to another without you having to pair and unpair via Bluetooth.
At 39.99 euros, the Luna controller is a bargain, even if you only intend to use it occasionally. It opens the door to a rotating catalog of free games with your Prime – like Fortnite–lets you try demos of Ubisoft games, and if you get hooked, you can always subscribe to paid channels for more content.