Amazon is getting into the cloud gaming service, uh, game. It announced today that it's launching Amazon Luna, a service that is looking like the company's answer to Google Stadia. It'll allow users to play games on the cloud across supported platforms like Android, iOS (through a web app), Mac, PC, Fire TV (and soon Android) for $5.99/month. It promises users can stream some titles up to 4K and 60 FPS and can support two simultaneous streams. And unlike services like NVIDIA GeForce Now, which allow you to play games you already own, Luna will work more like a "Netflix for games," letting you stream games you don't own.
It all sounds like a good deal on paper, but what a lot of these services come down to is the games available. Stadia, for example, works well but it launched in late 2019 with only a small number of games available. Amazon said in its announcement that the service will support a "growing library of games," but here's how the current slate compares to other game streaming services.
What are Amazon Luna launch titles?
Amazon Luna will launch in early access with a library of over 100 games. The list of games includes but isn't limited to:
- Resident Evil 7
- Control
- Panzer Dragoon
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- The Surge 2
- Yooka-Laylee
- The Impossible Lair
- Iconoclasts
- GRID
- ABZU
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Additionally, players that subscribe to the Ubisoft gaming channel, which is available through Luna, will get access to Ubisoft titles, including new titles on the day they release, like:
- Assassins Creed Valhalla
- Far Cry 6
- Immortals Fenyx Rising
What titles does Google Stadia have?
Google Stadia launched in late 2019 with a relatively small catalog of games, but it has since expanded that selection. Currently, there are around 75 games available to stream, including but not limited to:
- Borderlands 3
- DOOM
- Destiny 2
- Embr
- F1 2020
- Final Fantasy XV
- Hello Neighbor
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Panzer Dragoon: Remake
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Superhot
- Superhot: Mind Control Delete
- A number of Tomb Raider games
- Wolfenstein: Youngblood
- Zombie Army 4
In addition, there are a few games that are streaming exclusively on Stadia, or will be when they release. Some of these are timed exclusives or are otherwise available on PC. Developers Harmonix and Supermassive Games were also announced to be developing exclusives for Stadia.
- Gylt
- Outcasters
- Orcs Must Die! 3
Stadia is available to play for free, but those who subscribe to Stadia Pro for $10/month get free access to a number of games. The list changes every month, but games like SUPERHOT, Hello Neighbor, and Metro 2033 Redux have been available through Stadia Pro.
What can you play on NVIDIA GeForce Now?
GeForce Now is unlike the other streaming services. Instead of being a standalone platform, it's works more like a virtual PC. If you own a game, you can connect through GeForce Now and play it on other computers or on mobile.
It's tough to gauge what games are available on GeForce Now. The crux of the service is that if you own a game on a PC platform like Steam or UPlay, you can play it using GeForce Now. It doesn't have games of its own like the other cloud services do. However, a lot of developers have not given permission for NVIDIA to host the games through GeForce Now. Plus, games that were once available to play might no longer be.
NVIDIA has a list of the games currently available on its website. The list includes:
- Apex Legends
- A number of Assassins Creed games
- Control
- Death Stranding
- Disco Elysium
- A number of Far Cry games
- Marvel's Avengers
- Overcooked! and Overcooked! 2
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Publishers like Bethesda, Activision-Blizzard, and others have pulled their games from the service (although as you can ssee, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, a Bethesda game, remains playable).
What games can you play on Xbox Cloud Gaming?
Xbox Cloud Gaming, formerly known as Project xCloud, recently left beta and is now available in 22 countries. Subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can use the service to play games across platforms, including on mobile.
At launch, the service featured over 150 games, including first-party and third-party titles. We highlighted some of the titles below but chances are that if it's from Microsoft or a Microsoft-owned developer, it'll be available.
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Carrion
- Fallout 76
- Gears of War 4 and 5
- Mortal Kombat X (Not available in Korea)
- No Man's Sky
- Remnant: From the Ashes
- Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Wasteland 3
Beyond just these titles, Microsoft also announced that EA Play will be joining Xbox Game Pass Ultimate later this year, which will bring even more games to the service.
Your thoughts?
How is Luna shaping up for you compared to other cloud game streaming services? It's a growing market right now, so there's a lot of competition. Do you think you'll buy in to Luna when it's available? Sound off in the comments below.
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