It’s been a long time coming, but it’s here. The arrival of Amazon Luna in Spain was an open secret, but Black Friday and the approach of Christmas were a perfect opportunity for Jeff Bezos’ company to bring out all its artillery and open its cloud gaming service in our country . It is not alone, and other similar platforms such as Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now are ahead of it, but with Google Stadia out of the game and several subscription options, Luna has many options to compete at least on equal terms .
There are several signs that indicate that the future of video games may be far from video game consoles and the PC as we know them today. On the one hand, the price worthy of luxury products of the PS5 or the Xbox Series cloud services. These allow you to play dozens of games streaming on mobile phones, tablets, laptops or televisions for the price of a monthly subscription (9.99 euros in the case of Luna+ to have access to 100 games).
Amazon has the advantage that Prime users can directly access, at no additional cost, a selection of Luna games (although it is very limited and does not have any high-profile titles, beyond Fortnite ) . In addition, along with the launch of the service, they have put on sale an official remote control reduced to 39.99 euros until November 25 . Although you can use any Bluetooth controller to play, or even a virtual controller on your mobile phone, the Luna controller makes setup extremely easy and offers very positive sensations in these first games.
First steps
The first thing, in my case, was to configure the controller to be able to play on the mobile. I have also been able to test the official adapter for the Luna controller, which allows you to play on the phone more easily and without resting it on any surface. To start playing, just download the controller app, which indicates a few simple steps to follow, and that automatically launches the Cloud Direct option, which allows you to switch between platforms (PC, television…) without having to configure it again. new.
The Luna app, for its part, works like any other streaming service: the interface shows signs with the titles that are available, offers to buy discounted games and the other optional subscriptions, Ubisoft+ and Jackbox Games, each with its pros and its cons. In my case, activating Luna+ gave me the possibility of accessing 100 games, with some great titles from yesterday and today , although no recently released triple A and a few games that seem more like filler than anything else.
In any case, being able to play Batman Arkham Knight , Devil May Cry 5 , Assassins Creed Origins or the remastered Resident Evil 2 fluidly and without jerks without downloads and in just 1 minute is nothing to sneeze at. The catalog also includes addictive multiplayer games, such as Overcooked 1 and 2 or Moving Out , true gems to play online or in local cooperative. Special mention deserves the considerable part of the catalog dedicated to the purest nostalgia, with Campcom Arcade Stadium ( Street Fighter II will never go out of style), Earthworm Jim , The King of Fighters 98 or all the Sonics there have been and will be.
The process is also very simple for those who access Luna through Fire TV devices or SmartTVs from Samsung and LG. The application is available in app stores and its interface is as simple and easy to navigate as on mobile: a sort of Netflix for video games, with a top toolbar with tabs such as Home, Library, Favorites List, Couch, Search or Settings. One of the most useful elements is the ‘Continue playing’ selection , which allows you to continue the game where you left off in any of the last games you have opened.
In the Settings tab you can adjust some key aspects, such as connected controllers and subscriptions, set parental controls or choose audio and video quality. These options are limited, one of the few buts to the overall experience that Luna offers. You can only choose between 720p and 1080p resolutions (although Amazon hopes to offer 4K support soon). These consume approximately 5 GB and 10 GB of data per hour respectively, which should be taken into account if you do not play with a Wi-Fi connection.
The Moon command
Although you can use third-party controllers with Luna, such as Xbox One, Playstation’s DualSense or DualShock 4, or a Razer Kishi, the service is optimized for use with the official controller. It has a USB-C port to power it but also runs on a pair of AA batteries , which are included in the box.
I have done tests with Luna’s own controller and with an Xbox one, and the differences are practically non-existent. The main advantage that the Amazon remote offers is its low latency , which allows an immediate response between button presses and on-screen responses. In addition, its WiFi connectivity also allows you to move from one screen to another with unusual ease.
I buy it?
Amazon Luna arrives in Spain with the market already mature and very consolidated options, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming, included in the Game Pass Ultimate. However, its ease of use, speed and fluidity are elements to take into account , as well as the possibility of using it from a wide range of devices. Beyond some occasional delays in loading and some temporary slowdowns in demanding games like Fortnite , I have experienced virtually no performance problems.
The most debatable thing has to do with its price and its limited catalog. It is good to be able to enjoy Luna for being an Amazon Prime customer, but paying 9.99 euros for Luna+ is only worth it if you do not have a console or other cloud gaming services .
The Ubisoft+ option, with a price of 17.99 euros per month, is only for the most fans of the French company’s games, and Jackbox Games (4.99 euros per month) is of interest if you have children at home or you like Play casual games with friends. Like other cloud gaming services, Luna also has the handicap that titles rotate and are deleted with some regularity, so you may never be able to finish that game you’re halfway through.
As for the official controller, available for a limited time for 39.99 euros , it is practically essential to enjoy the experience in the easiest and most comfortable way. Taking into account that it is not comparable to playing a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series
