Amazon Luna, game streaming service is released to select customers

Announced in September, Luna is a cloud-based gaming service that seeks to compete with the likes of Microsoft xCloud and Google Stadia. After receiving "hundreds of thousands" of requests to participate in an early access launch, Amazon today launched the service to a "small set" of customers in the United States.

The company intends to send out additional invites as it slowly develops the platform over the coming months. "We're just getting started and we need streamers and gamers of all types - entry-level, casual and beginner gamers - to provide feedback," says Amazon. "We want to hear what customers like, what they don't like and what they want us to build."

Luna - Meet Amazon's game streaming service

Guests to the show gain access to the cross-platform service, available on Fire Stick TV, PC, Mac and as web apps for iOS and iPadOS, the Luna+ Game Channel and a dedicated Bluetooth controller.

Amazon Luna - Prices

Customers have to shell out $49,99 for the Luna controller, while Luna+ will cost $5,99 during the initial access period and at launch includes access to 50 games. A Ubisoft channel offering the latest games from the studio is listed soon.

Amazon is one of the first companies in the cloud gaming industry to make its game streaming service, Luna, available on iOS which only came after Apple loosened restrictions on streaming game products last month.

Since direct-streaming games are not yet allowed on the App Store, Amazon gets around the ban by sending app data via a web browser. Players interested in receiving an invite can request access via Amazon. Remembering that initially the service is only available in the USA.