Luna Now Included with Prime Video at No Extra Cost as Amazon Aims to 'Rebuild Trust' in Cloud Gaming

Amazon has announced that its cloud gaming service, Luna, is now integrated into Prime Video for users in the U.S. and UK who access the streaming service via Fire TV. This move is part of a broader strategy to make Luna's game library more accessible. Luna is included with a Prime membership at no additional cost, with no downloads or purchases required to start playing.

Prime members can discover games through a new 'Games' tab on Prime Video, allowing them to start playing within seconds on their TV using a controller or phone. The Luna library includes titles like Hogwarts Legacy, EA Sports FC 26, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, as well as party games such as Clue, Ticket to Ride, and Taboo. Amazon plans to add new games monthly.

Jeff Gattis, GM of Gaming at Amazon, stated, 'For a lot of people, games have been harder to find than they should be. Bringing Luna inside Prime Video allows Prime members to discover games more naturally, and if they see one they like, they click it, and they’re in. That’s less time searching and more time playing great games included with their Prime membership.'

More details on additional devices, countries, and games will be revealed in the coming months.

In an interview with IGN, Gattis discussed the challenges cloud gaming has faced in gaining widespread adoption. He noted that previous efforts by Amazon, Google, and Microsoft often targeted core gamers with messages like 'no console required,' which may have missed the mark. 'I think part of the problem is cloud gaming was sort of positioned at core gamers as you don't need a console... The core gamer who's invested in a console or a $3,000 graphics card loves that hardware and fidelity,' Gattis explained. He believes the real opportunity lies with a broader audience that may never own a console or gaming PC.

Gattis also acknowledged past technical issues, saying, 'Several years ago, you would notice latency... A lot of that has been removed. So now it's almost like you have to rebuild trust in people who had a bad cloud experience five years ago.'

Regarding Luna's initial positioning, Gattis admitted it was aimed at the high-end market with the expectation that cloud gaming would revolutionize the industry. However, he now sees a larger opportunity: '3 billion people in the world play games; only about 500 million own consoles and PCs. So we have a lot of people out there that actually like to play video games, but aren't playing in the highest fidelity setting.'

Luna's integration into Prime Video aims to boost discoverability. 'You launch Prime Video to watch your favorite show, there'll be a games tab right on the top... That's a first step in terms of just driving more awareness,' Gattis said. He envisions a future where Prime Video pages for franchises like Tomb Raider combine shows, games, Twitch feeds, and merchandise, creating a unified entertainment experience.

Amazon highlighted synergies with its other properties, such as the Masters of the Universe film and the co-op card battler Masters of the Universe: Legends Unite, both accessible through the same subscription. Another example is the AI party game Courtroom Chaos: Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, tied to his upcoming Prime Video holiday movie.

Whether this new approach will turn Luna into a success remains to be seen, but getting the service in front of millions of Prime Video users is a logical first step.