Amazon's Luna Gaming Service Is a $10 Hack for Saving Loads on Video Games

Gaming brings me peace. There’s something about putting your feet up, cranking the TV, pouring yourself a cold one, and getting down to business. A good game has the ability to transport your mind into oblivion, and sometimes you just need to forget about your responsibilities for a couple of hours and tune it all out. 

My Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch are my children. A day away from them is dreadful (I’m exaggerating, sort of), so I’m always looking for different ways to experience gameplay. Streaming has become increasingly popular, and in the long run, could be a more financially intelligent decision as you can cancel anytime, which is perfect for commitment phobes (me). Although my gaming systems are my prized possessions, it took a while to decide if I wanted to take the plunge to purchase a new device, so rather than spend all my cash on another console, I decided to try out a more cost-effective alternative: Amazon’s Luna. 

Amazon’s Luna is a cloud gaming service where you can play on devices you already own. Some compatible systems are Windows PCs, Apple devices, Fire TVs, select Samsung smart TVs, Fire tablets, and Android phones. The platform has created its own wireless Bluetooth controller that directly connects to its game server and doubles as a remote control, for when you need a break from gaming to binge-watch cringe reality television. The controller itself has a 4.3 star rating on Amazon and over 7,000 reviews. “It operates flawlessly and accurately, and is a pleasure to hold in hand for hours while gaming. Perfect comes to mind,” a reviewer on Amazon gushed. 

If you’re looking to save some moola, you don't even need the controller to use the service, as Luna supports Xbox and Playstation controllers, computer mice, and keyboards, and *drumroll* allows you to turn your smartphone into a controller through its app. I was ready to take the plunge with Luna before, but not having to buy any additional hardware to get started really sealed the deal. But the reviews of the controller do make it sound like a worthwhile purchase, especially if you’re playing on an Amazon device.

The Luna gaming service comes with five packages to choose from: Luna+, Family Channel, Retro Channel, Ubisoft+, and Jackbox Games. All differ in price and game selection—from $4.99 to $17.99. If you already have a Prime membership, you can play four games selected by Amazon through Prime Gaming per month. 

What I love about Luna, in addition to its serious versatility and ability to integrate into what technology you’ve already got, is that the games change each month. I first dipped my toe in the water with the free selection, and when I saw that the gameplay and graphics felt just like I was playing on an actual gaming system, it hooked me in further and then I decided to subscribe to Luna+. You can try a seven-day free trial on Luna+, Family Channel, or Retro Channel before getting hitched, which I appreciate  trust issues, hehe).. Genres among the game catalog include action, adventure, indie, RPG, racing, and classic games such as the Sonic franchise. As for specifics, I was thrilled to see classics (old and modern) such as The Surge, Myst, Control, and Blair Witch. It even has one of my favorite games, Yakuza 0, which, if you haven’t played, you need to get into if you’ve ever been curious about what it’s like to join a Japanese gang in the late 1980s. Check out the full game lineup here—games are always being added, so there’s truly something for every type of player, from relaxing RPGs to complex adventure thrillers.

Not gonna lie, I was drawn to Luna+ since some of the Resident Evil franchise is included. I’ve been wanting to start it, but à la carte, each game on Playstation would cost around 20 bucks to buy. With Luna+, I’m saving some smackeroonies by paying one $10 fee a month to play all of them at the same time. 

TD;LR: Streaming video games is the next best thing to hit the gaming realm. It makes spending hundreds on the new Playstation 5 seem ridiculously expensive and inefficient. Amazon’s Luna is cost-effective, compatible with controllers I already have, and is constantly updated with new games. I can’t really ask for more when it comes to gaming—although I’m easy to please. You give sus Tinder dates a shot, so you might as well take a chance on Luna.

Stop swiping and cue the games. 

Stream the Luna Cloud Gaming Service on Amazon here.

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