Amazon has relaunched its Luna game-streaming service with a sharper focus on approachable, couch-friendly play. The updated platform introduces GameNight, a phone-controlled collection of local multiplayer titles bundled at no additional cost for Prime members, alongside a refreshed catalog of blockbuster and indie games and a rebranded $9.99 Luna Premium tier.
A Push Toward Social Play with Luna’s GameNight Focus
GameNight is the headline feature: a curated library of more than 25 local multiplayer games designed for living room gatherings. Amazon says the collection is meant to be instant and inclusive, minimizing setup and letting anyone join using their smartphone.
The lineup blends party staples with new exclusives from Amazon Games. The marquee example is “Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg,” an AI voice-driven improv courtroom experience where players craft wild personas and testimonies before Judge Snoop.
The set also includes:
- “Angry Birds Flock Party”
- “Draw & Guess”
- “The Jackbox Party Pack 9”
- “Ticket to Ride”
- “Exploding Kittens 2”
- “Clue”
- “Tetris Effect: Connected”
among others.
The pitch is straightforward: make Luna the go-to companion for family nights, dorm lounges, and casual gatherings. By leaning into approachable play rather than high-end hardware, Amazon is betting social gaming can become Luna’s differentiator.
Phones As Controllers Reduce Friction on Luna GameNight
Luna’s smartphone-first input is central to the revamp. Players can use a phone as a controller to jump into GameNight sessions without dedicated hardware. That removes one of cloud gaming’s biggest barriers: the moment when someone wants to join but lacks a gamepad. On PC, Mac, and web, Luna still supports mouse and keyboard; on living room screens, it runs on Fire TV and other compatible devices.
Amazon is also emphasizing lower-latency streaming, an area where its cloud footprint can help. By leaning on its infrastructure and keeping GameNight mechanics accessible, Luna sidesteps the twitchiest scenarios that expose lag, a lesson the industry learned as services tried to court competitive players before solving distribution and input challenges.
Catalog and Pricing for Luna and the Luna Premium Tier
Beyond party play, the updated catalog adds recognizable single-player and sports titles, including “Hogwarts Legacy,” “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,” “Kingdom Come: Deliverance II,” and “TopSpin 2K25.” Outside the GameNight library, games require a controller or mouse and keyboard, just as before the revamp.
Prime members can access Luna and GameNight as part of their membership. For a larger rotating library, Luna Premium—formerly Luna+—is priced at $9.99 per month and features titles such as “EA SPORTS FC 25,” “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor,” and “Batman: Arkham Knight.” It’s a familiar model: bundle approachable content broadly, then offer a deeper catalog through an add-on.
How It Fits the Evolving Cloud Gaming Landscape Today
Amazon’s pivot arrives as the cloud gaming market matures. Microsoft has said tens of millions have tried Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Nvidia’s GeForce NOW has reported tens of millions of registered users, underscoring steady interest in streaming as access improves. Meanwhile, Google’s shuttering of Stadia remains a cautionary tale about overreaching before a clear use case took hold.
The Luna revamp targets a niche cloud services have often overlooked: low-friction, communal play. Analysts at Newzoo have noted that the underlying drivers for cloud gaming—faster broadband and better mobile networks—continue to improve, but consumers still resist added hardware costs. Turning every smartphone into a controller directly addresses that hurdle.
Amazon also has distribution advantages others envy. Prime counts well over 200 million members globally, Fire TV is a leading streaming platform in many markets, and Amazon can cross-promote Luna across retail, devices, and media surfaces. If even a sliver of Prime households use GameNight during gatherings, Luna’s engagement metrics could look very different from competitors chasing core gamers alone.
What to Watch Next as Amazon Repositions Luna Service
Success will hinge on cadence and quality: how frequently GameNight adds fresh hits, the stickiness of exclusive experiences like the Snoop-led improv game, and the stability of streaming during peak living room hours. Licensing depth for Premium, performance on varied home networks, and smart integrations—such as simple invites or links shared via messaging apps—will also shape adoption.
With the relaunch, Amazon isn’t trying to outgun consoles. It’s reframing Luna as the easiest way to turn a TV or laptop into a party-ready game system, then giving enthusiasts a path to bigger adventures through Premium. If it executes on content refresh and keeps entry friction near zero, Luna’s new direction could finally give Amazon a durable foothold in cloud gaming.
