Title: Cloud gaming review: Xbox xCloud and Amazon Luna+
Author: Solène
Date: 13 July 2024
Tags: gaming network
Description: In this article, you will learn about the pros and cons of
cloud gaming services Xbox xCloud and Amazon Luna
# Introduction
There are not many cloud gaming services around, here is a quick
summary of Xbox Gaming and Amazon Luna services.
# Xbox Cloud Gaming (Microsoft)
The Xbox Cloud gaming service is available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
subscribers at a price of 17.99$€ / month.
## pros
* Huge game library including games available their first day of
release
* Game library can be installed on xbox and Windows and game saves are
shared (THIS CAN NOT BE USED ON LINUX!)
* Low bandwidth usage (rarely more than 750 kB/s average)
* Per-game customized layout for touchscreen devices
* 14 days trial for 1€ (there are many giveaways or price cut voucher
available here and there)
## cons
* Poor video quality in 1080p due to a low bitrate
* Highest option is 1080@60Hz
* Streamed games are running on Xbox Series S hardware, so some games
are locked at 30 FPS (hello Starfield)
* Better xcloud configuration is required to play in best conditions
* Saves can not be exported to reuse with Steam/GOG games
(HTM) better-xcloud GitHub page: Userscript to improve Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud)
## Conclusion
The Xbox Ultimate subscription bundles a game library for Xbox and
Windows games with high price titles, this makes the price itself quite
cheap compared to the price of available games as a high-priced game is
more expensive than four months of subscription. However, I have mixed
feelings about the associated streaming service: on one hand it works
perfectly fine (no queue, input lag is ok) but the video quality is not
fantastic on a 1080p screen. The service seems perfectly fitted to be
played on smartphones, every touchscreen compatible games have a
specific layout customized for that game, making the touchscreen a lot
more usable than displaying a full controller over the layout when you
only need a few buttons, in addition to the low bandwidth usage it
makes a good service for handheld devices. On desktop, you may want to
use the streaming to try a game before installing it, but not much
more.
There is no client for Android TV, so you can not use these devices
except if you can run a web browser in it.
Really, with a better bitrate, the service would be a blast (not for 4k
and/or 120 fps users though), but at the moment it is only ok as a game
library, or as a streaming service to play on small or low resolution
screens.
# Luna (Amazon)
The Luna+ cloud gaming service is available for 9.99$€ / month, or
people who have an Amazon Prime account.
## pros
* Couch coop link to invite a friend
* You can play some games you own in GOG/Epic/Ubisoft libraries
* Bundled with Amazon Prime (if you have Prime, you can use Luna)
* Low bandwidth usage (rarely more than 1 MB/s average)
* A free try of 7 days (when cancelling, make sure to accept the THREE
confirmation steps)
* Compatible with most devices / OS
## cons
* Poor game library although there are a couple of good titles (I only
account Luna games)
* Poor bitrate
* Highest option is 1080@60Hz
* Average performance
* Static ads when starting a game
* Cancelling subscription is using tricks so you do not cancel it
## Conclusion
The service could be good with a better bitrate, the input lag is ok
and I did not experience any waiting time. The hardware specs seem
good except the loading times, it feels like the data are stored on a
network storage with poor access time or bandwidth. The bitrate is so
bad that I can not recommend playing anything in first person view or
moving too fast as it would look like a pixel mess. However, playing
slow paced games is perfectly fine.
There have a killer feature that is unique to their service, you can
invite a friend to play a game in streaming with you by just sending
them a link, they will join your game, and you can start playing
together in a minute. While it is absolutely cool, the service lacks
fun games to play in couch coop...
As you can use Luna if you have Amazon Prime, I think it is a good fit
for casual players who do not want to pay for games but would enjoy a
session from time to time on any hardware.
I mentioned the subscription cancelling process twice, here are the
facts: on your account you click on unsubscribe, then it asks if you
are really sure because you will lose access to your service, you have
to agree, then it will remind you that you are about to cancel, and
maybe it is a mistake, so you need to agree again, then there is a
trick. The web page says that your account will be cancelled and that
you can still use your account up to cancel date, it looks fine here,
but it is not, there is a huge paragraph of blah blah below and a
button to confirm the cancel! Then you are done. But first time I
cancelled I did not pass the third step as I thought it was fine, when
double-checking my account status before the renewal, I saw I missed
something.
# GeForce NOW (NVIDIA)
I wrote a review of their services a few months ago. Since then, I
renewed my account with 6 months of priority tier. I mostly use it to
play resource intensive games when it is hot at home (so my computer
does not heat at all), at night when I want to play a bit in silence
without fan noise, finally I enjoy it a lot with slow paced games like
walking simulators on my TV.
(HTM) 2024-03-07 GeForce NOW review
# Final conclusion
On one hand, Luna seems to target casual users: people who may not
notice the bad quality or input lag and who will just play what is
available.
On the other hand, Xbox service is a game library first, with a
streaming feature. It is quite perfect for people playing Xbox library
games on PC / Xbox who wants to play on a smartphone / tablet
occasionally, but not for customers looking only for playing streaming
games.
Both services would not need much to be _good_ streaming services, the
minimum upgrade should be a higher bitrate. Better specs would be
appreciated too: improved loading times for Luna, and Xbox games
running on a better platform than Xbox Series S.