With Luna, Amazon has discovered another way to circumvent Apple’s App Store fees. Luna is a progressive web application (PWA), which means it’s actually a browser-based program masquerading as a native iOS app. You’ll download the PWA from the Luna website, and the resulting icon on your iPhone’s home screen will function like a shortcut to Amazon’s cloud gaming portal on the web.
As a PWA, Luna is not involved in the App Store at all.
“Just to be super transparent, on iOS, it is through the browser,” Whitten said. “So it's not a native app in the App Store.”
Luna will cost $5.99 -- at least -- in early access. That price unlocks access to Luna+, the baseline channel that will feature a mix of games, including
Resident Evil 7,
Control,
Tacoma,
Rez Infinite,
Metro Exodus,
The Sexy Brutale,
Overcooked! 2 and others. Not all of the titles listed up there will be available on day one, but they’re all on the early access docket.
Luna will have more channels with curated content, each available at an additional, as-yet-unknown cost. The first confirmed channel comes from Ubisoft, and will include a broad selection of games from the publisher’s catalog, plus same-day releases of upcoming titles including
Far Cry 6,
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and
Immortals Fenyx Rising.
Amazon is aiming to have about 100 games available during the early beta period, spread between Luna+ and the Ubisoft channel.
The channeled approach to game streaming was borrowed from Amazon’s Prime Video experience, which offers certain stations as paid additions. That said, Luna will evolve as early access carries on and the feedback rolls in.
“You may even see other types of channels like a genre-based channel,” said Marc Whitten, Amazon’s head of Luna. “Or other ways to think about specific pieces of content that might be very attractive to a certain set of customers.”
Amazon specifies that $5.99 a month is the price of a Luna+ subscription during early access, so this base price is likely to change with the launch of Luna 1.0.
“So more than Stadia, less than Game Pass,” Luna business development manager Lisa Schwenke said. Microsoft recently integrated xCloud into its Game Pass Ultimate subscription service and offers more than 150 streamable titles, while Stadia has about 50, some of which are purchased individually. Schwenke continued, “The goal is to continue to have something for everyone, see what customers are enjoying and try to bring more of that. So definitely starting out a little bit smaller during early access, I think there'll be about 50 titles in our Luna Plus channel and about 50 in the Ubisoft channel, and just growing that over time consistently.”
What do I need to play on Luna?
You need a high-speed internet connection, compatible game controller or mouse and keyboard, and supported PC, Mac, Fire TV, iPhone, and iPad.
What are the device requirements to play on Luna?
You can use the Luna app on:
- PC (requires Windows 10 with support for DirectX 11)
- Mac (OSX 10.13+)
- FireTV devices (Fire TV Stick - 2nd gen, Fire TV Stick 4K, or Fire TV Cube - 2nd gen)
Additionally you can use:
- Chrome web browser (version 83+) for PC and Mac
- Safari web browser (iOS14) for iPhone and iPad
We are working to add support across more devices in the future
Which controllers are compatible with Luna?
You can play with the Luna Controller, Xbox One controller, DualShock 4 controller, or use a mouse and keyboard.
What internet speed do I need for Luna?
The minimum recommended internet connection speed for streaming games is 10 Mbps (35 Mbps required to play in 4K). Better internet connections will result in improved streaming quality and resolution.
How long will early access pricing for Luna+ last?
$5.99/month introductory pricing is only available during Luna early access. Your Luna+ subscription will renew at the applicable monthly subscription price after the Luna early access period is over. We will notify you at least 30 days in advance of the end of early access to ensure you are informed of the new monthly subscription price, along with information on how to manage your subscription. You may cancel your subscription at any time.
