UPDATE 08/04/21: As announced today via an Amazon Luna blog post, the company has introduced a new 720p streaming option which allows for decreased bandwidth and data usage. The new option can be accessed in Luna's Settings tab.
As an idea, cloud gaming sounds fantastic. No wait times for downloads and no managing storage space dramatically cuts the amount of time using a gaming device without actually playing something. The notion of being able to pick up a controller and play AAA titles from almost any screen available is also an appealing one, helping consumers eschew the dreaded 'gaming room' setup if they so desire. While Amazon Luna looks like a premium experience that could make the cloud work, it still falls short of being able to provide a top-of-the-line cloud gaming platform. Luna's shortcomings aren't any fault of its own but are a product of the exclusivity of high-speed internet.
Luna is Amazon's take on a cloud gaming subscription service where players can access a library of hit titles from any Luna-compatible device. These devices include PC, iOS devices, and the Amazon Fire TV/Stick. Instead of the user's system using its own hardware to run the games, Luna streams the gameplay from a server onto the player's device. This removes the need to download any of the titles in the library, allowing players to hop in and out of games without worrying about managing their device's storage. However, Luna is a very bandwidth-intensive service that requires high, uninterrupted download speeds in order to function properly.
Screen Rant was provided with a Luna controller and access to the Luna's game library for a hands-on preview. We tested the service with an average 40 Mbps download speed on all three supported device types: iPhone, Fire Stick, and PC. Amazon recommends that users have a minimum of 10 Mbps to play, and a recommended 35 Mbps for those who want to play in 4K. Nonetheless, there are more factors that go into an enjoyable play session than internet speed. Even at a consistent 35-40 Mbps, Luna can struggle to keep up with more demanding games such as Control or Metro Exodus. At 10 Mbps, players will do well if they can consistently play Blasphemous or Furi without any dropped frames.
This presents Luna's first issue. Much like competitive multiplayer games, the experience is more enjoyable depending on the speed of the user's internet. Not everyone is guaranteed to have access to high internet speeds due to location or finances which makes Luna an exclusive service to those who can attain internet with speeds of 35 Mbps or above. These speeds are required to play single-player titles that could be played offline on other systems. At the same time, Luna's library of games is small and consists mostly of hit indie titles and a couple of AAA titles packed in for good measure. This library will likely expand as Luna continues to open itself up to more people, but as is, Luna requires players to have fast internet to enjoy smaller-sized titles from years ago.
Luna's most glaring issue isn't its demand for high-speed internet but is the unavoidable input lag that comes with cloud gaming. Playing Furi, an indie title from 2016, at 35 Mbps offers zero graphical or audio issues, but there is always input lag regardless of internet speed as the button press is relayed to the server and then back to the player's screen. This makes most games either frustrating or unenjoyable to play due to the lack of precision that Luna allows. This is very noticeable when playing titles like Metro Exodus that allow players camera control, but the camera begins to move roughly half a second after the player moves their joystick. Luna may stream games in 4K, but graphical improvements aren't worth the input delay.
While one of Luna's biggest selling points is that it allows gamers to play on any screen, it doesn't play the same on every device. Above all else, Luna should be played on a device that has a wired ethernet connection. This minimalizes fluctuation in bandwidth which makes for a more enjoyable experience. This means players will want to use Luna on their PC or their Fire Stick with an ethernet adapter. Issues begin to arise when players opt for devices such as their iPhone or laptop which are connected to Wi-Fi. The inconsistent bandwidth will prevent Luna from running properly, and players will experience a lot of dropped frames and connectivity issues. From Screen Rant's experience, using Luna on a cellular device results in the worst experience of the available options we tested.
The Luna Controller, however, is an excellent bit of hardware in its own right, and makes for a fantastic gamepad. The controller uses Wi-Fi to connect to Luna's servers, but it also has a Bluetooth mode that is compatible with devices that support generic Bluetooth. It can also be used as a wired controller via the USB-C input on the top of the controller. It has a built-in microphone that is compatible with Alexa and a 3.5 mm headphone jack on the bottom compatible with any standard headset. The thumbsticks have a comfortable ergonomic design, the buttons and triggers have a very nice tactile response, and the controller's haptic feedback capabilities are decent. It closely resembles that of a Switch Pro Controller or Xbox One Controller but has a bit more weight to it than either of those. Its biggest downfall is the use of AA batteries over a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, but that's a minor complaint, and it's definitely the best part of the Luna package right now.
Luna is another great idea for a gaming platform, but cloud gaming isn't there yet. Until high-speed internet becomes more affordable and widely obtainable, platforms like Luna will struggle to break through that exclusive barrier. As it stands, there isn't much to draw players to Luna; its game library is small and mostly outdated. As the service grows, hopefully, it will offer more to entice new users (outside of removing egregious load times, which is the baseline functionality of cloud gaming) such as exclusive titles or newer titles at launch. For anyone looking for a fantastic Bluetooth controller, Amazon's Luna Controller is the best thing that comes from this service, but the rest leaves something to be desired that isn't necessarily solvable without some major infrastructure changes to cloud gaming as a whole.
Amazon's Luna is currently in early access. A unit was provided to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review.