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Amazon Luna Hands On: Almost Spotless
It's all in the cloud
By Joshua Hawkins Joshua Hawkins Freelance Technology Reporter Full Sail University Josh Hawkins is a freelance writer for Lifewire who loves writing about the latest tech and gadgets that help make people’s lives easier. As an avid gamer and VR enthusiast, he also enjoys diving deep into the technology that helps bring those kinds of experiences to life. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 30, 2020 12:32PM EST Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Gaming Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Key Takeaways
Amazon Luna offers a unique way to approach cloud gaming.Multiple channels allow you to pick and choose the kinds of games you want to play.Gaming on Luna feels smooth. Amazon It’s like Netflix, but for video games. That’s the easiest way to explain what Amazon Luna is. While it hasn’t hit all the nails required for that statement to be wholly true, it’s as close as cloud gaming has managed to get, and there have been more than a few tries along the way. Available in limited access right now, Luna is easily one of the smoothest experiences I’ve ever had in cloud gaming. The UI of the application, the ease of launching into a game, and the overall performance just melds together into a smooth run of things. Being able to easily sort through games and even add them to a playlist just helps make everything work more seamlessly, which really gives off more of those Netflix vibes that every other cloud gaming software has been trying to hit. Easy Does It
I have a perfectly capable PC, but that hasn’t stopped me from being intrigued by the idea of cloud gaming. Having tried services like OnLive back when it was a thing, new options like Google Stadia and Nvidia’s GeForce Now service, and even free apps like Rainway, discovering different ways to play games in the cloud has been interesting. While these options have had their perks—like Rainway being completely free and available on Android, iOS, and even Roku and Apple TV—none have come so close to hitting the vision as Luna. Amazon The application is extremely easy to use. Upon loading it, you can navigate through a ton of different lists, similar to how you’d look through TV shows and movies on Netflix or other streaming services. It didn’t take me long to find the first game I wanted to try, and within seconds I was walking through the first cutscenes in Control. This graphically intensive game played smoothly through Luna. I didn’t notice any hiccups or FPS drops, and images looked much better than many of the games I’d tested on Google Stadia. There were some instances of input lag when playing with my keyboard and mouse, though it wasn’t nearly as bad as the input lag I’ve had when playing games like Destiny 2 or Marvel’s The Avengers on Stadia. My favorite feature, though, was being able to simply type in keywords like "shooters" or "racing" and have a slew of options for games pop up. This made it extremely easy to find new games to check out without having to go through the entire catalog. Above the Crowd
What makes Amazon Luna stand out so much is the fact that it just works. Everything from searching to playing the games—it just feels smooth. Images looked much better than many of the games I’d tested out on Google Stadia. I loaded The Surge and started making my way through the opening of the game. As a Souls-like type of game, hitting those perfectly timed button presses and dodging attacks is extremely difficult even without the worry of input lag, which often comes with cloud gaming. Somehow Luna managed to handle it really well, though, and while I did stumble a few times, it was mostly because of my own incompetence as a player, not the service itself. Now, that isn’t to say there isn’t input lag, because there is. There’s just no way around it. But, the input lag on Luna is hands down far less than it is on Stadia and GeForce Now. To be fair, Amazon Luna isn't quite the Netflix of video games yet, simply because there is still a lot of room for improvement. More games and channels, as well as even further reduction in input lag, would be great. It can also be difficult to navigate to the service from the Amazon website, as it’s layered under multiple clicks. When it comes to cloud gaming, though, Luna is the best that I’ve ever tried, and with it still in early access, Amazon has a lot of wiggle room to make it even better. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Amazon Luna Price, Release Date, Specs, Games, News, and Rumors How to Play Windows Games on a Mac Amazon Luna vs. Google Stadia: What's the Difference? The Quick Guide to Cloud Gaming With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Amazon Luna Review: Surprisingly Smooth Game Streaming The 8 Best Current Gaming Consoles of 2022 by Lifewire Amazon Luna vs. Xbox Game Pass: What's the Difference? What Is Google Stadia? The Quick Guide to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Google Stadia vs. Microsoft Project xCloud Google Stadia Review: Room for Improvement How to Use Cloud Gaming to Play Xbox Games on Your Android Phone 10 Ways to Upcycle Your Old Computer or Laptop How to Get Fortnite on iPhone Do I Need a Streaming Device With a Smart TV? Google TV: What It Is and How It Works Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies