Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming service that brings games to various devices such as computers, smartphones or Fire TV. The platform offers a large selection of games, including many family-friendly titles.
Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming service. This means that the games do not have to be downloaded. Similar to Netflix the games are streamed.
Players must have a Luna+ subscription or an Amazon Prime account. You can then play games from the Luna library without having to buy them individually. However, the games do not belong to the subscribers. Anyone who cancels their subscription or Amazon Prime account will lose access to all games that were included. The same applies to games that Amazon removes from its range.
Alternatively, the games can be purchased individually via the Amazon Luna website. A Ubisoft account is also required for this, as these games are only offered for sale by the video game company Ubisoft.
Gaming trends change quickly. A game that is still popular with children and young people can lose its appeal in just a few weeks. With the subscription, Amazon Luna offers the opportunity to react to such changes without having to keep buying new games.
The Luna Couch function allows children and young people to play together with their friends. In Luna is the streaming platform popular with young people Twitch is integrated.
Families save the high costs of purchasing a gaming PC or games console. Amazon Luna is available on Android and iOS smartphones, on some smart TVs and on computers with an internet browser.
Amazon Luna offers parental controls with a number of protective measures. In the “Parental control” tab in the settings, you can set a PIN for the account. In the settings, parents can specify that the PIN must be used to purchase games. The games that Amazon Luna offers are all rated by the USK and set to a specific age. Luna is one of the affiliated systems that participate in the IARC process. Parents can specify the age rating above which the PIN must be entered in order to start the game. More information about Amazon Luna parental controls can be found on the medien-kindersicher.de website.
Cloud gaming requires an online constraint. The games cannot be downloaded and played offline, as the game data has to be transferred from a server. This can consume a lot of data volume.
Online games can cause problems with the flow of the game due to the delay time to the server. Especially with action games (like
Fall Guys
), sports games (like
FIFA
) and shooters (like
Fortnite
), it can be relevant to make decisions within fractions of a second. If your home Internet is not fast enough to implement these decisions, this can quickly lead to frustration.
The aspect that subscribers do not own the games can also be difficult. If your child wants to play the game over and over again, this option is not safe in the long term. This is because Amazon can decide to remove the game from its range at any time.
Amazon Luna ‘s parental controls are good in many respects, but there is still room for improvement in one area: you cannot limit your child’s playing time. To do this, they would have to use additional programs, such as the Salfeld app, which is available for Microsoft Windows and Android (up to Android version 14).
Use the settings of the technical youth media protection of Amazon Luna and the devices on which your child plays. Talk to your child about play times and agree on rules. Involve your child so that they feel that their interests are taken seriously and represented.
Talk openly with your child about the risks of online gaming. Encourage your child to come to you if they have seen or heard something while playing that makes them feel insecure. Talk to your child about how they can deal well with challenging content or risky contacts. Also note that the integrated streaming platform Twitch is included with Luna and can bring its own challenges.
Does your child want to play a game that you don’t know? Find out about this in advance. Elternguide.online offers articles on many popular games. Observe the USK age ratings of the games and weigh up whether the game is suitable for your child depending on their stage of development. Educational recommendations for games can be found in the NRW games guide.
