Amazon has put paid to the idea that the gaming streaming market is settled by debuting Luna, its new streaming service, and it looks like it'll be intended to compete with the likes of Xboxs Game Pass and Google Stadia.

The latter of those two is the most apt comparison, as the two are more than a little similar - Luna has its own controller, but will run Fire TV, Mac and Windows at launch, plus iPhones and iPads (although its status on iOS will be a matter of controversy - it's apparently going to run in-browser, not as its own app). Android will apparently follow at a later date. 

The service will have a paid-for tier, Luna+, to access a range of included games, streamed direct to wherever you are and using Amazon Web Services as its logistical backbone, with just that controller the key to playing.

If that doesn't sound like much of a USP at the moment, given the strides being made by Xbox in particular, the ace up Amazon's sleeve appears to be a tight partnership with Ubisoft, which will bring its new games to Luna's subscribers day and date as part of a dedicated channel of its own, starting with Assassin's Creed Valhalla this Fall. 

These and other Ubisoft titles like Far Cry 6 and Immortals Fenyx Rising will apparently run in 4K through Luna, which positions it nicely to compete with the PS5 and Xbox Series X on the next-gen side of things.

At launch, however, it's fair to say the lineup of games is a little more mundane, with some great titles but nothing particularly new - Resident Evil 7, Control, Panzer Dragoon, A Plague Tale: Innocence, The Surge 2, Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair, Iconoclasts, GRID, ABZU and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons all got mentions. 

Twitch integration is also an upside for prospective gamers, another benefit to Amazon's empire, and you'll be able to watch Twitch through Luna, and launch Luna through Twitch when something catches your eye. 

Amazon enters the crowded game streaming market with Luna photo 2
Amazon

Finally, Amazon took some time to highlight the controller it's built, which looks, well, like a controller, with the standout fact being that it benefits from incredibly low latency for a wireless controller, which should make it feel responsive to use. It'll cost $49.99 during the early access period, though we don't know what it'll rise to when that ends. However, Luna will also work with PS4 and Xbox One controllers, so it's very much an optional purchase. 

Amazon didn't stick a firm date on Luna's launch, but gamers in the US can request an invitation to try it out now on Amazon to be in the first wave. Luna+ will cost $5.99 a month at first, although this is an early access price, too. From the looks of its launch page, getting access to Ubisoft's game channel will be an extra subscription, one that also isn't priced yet.