Amazon is pushing back on concerns that rising infrastructure costs could make cloud gaming services like Amazon Luna harder to sustain. In a new CNET interview, Jeffrey Gattis, Head of Gaming at Amazon, addressed that concern directly. He said Amazon Web Services (AWS) gives Amazon Luna the scale needed to operate efficiently and remain viable.
Gattis also called this “cloud gaming’s moment” as console hardware, high-end PCs, and games become more expensive. He said those rising costs are creating a real barrier for some people. Amazon’s argument is that Amazon Luna can offer a more accessible and affordable way to play through Prime and Amazon Web Services.
AWS Scale Is Key to Amazon Luna’s Viability
CNET’s report examines rising data centre costs and whether cloud gaming services can absorb them. Gattis said Amazon Web Services allows Amazon Luna to run at enormous scale. He argued that this scale is why the service is viable.
Earlier this month, we reported that Amazon Luna handles millions of game sessions each night. Amazon also confirmed that Amazon GameLift Streams powers Luna’s infrastructure and that shared GPU resources support multiple game sessions. For some games, Amazon says a single GPU can support four or more simultaneous sessions.
Those nightly sessions aren’t the same as millions of individual users, and Amazon hasn’t disclosed a unique-user total. Gattis described Amazon Luna as a long-term service built around infrastructure Amazon already operates at massive scale.
Other cloud gaming services are already taking different approaches to pricing, playtime, and infrastructure costs. XBOX announced that XBOX Cloud Gaming will move to monthly limits in November. XBOX Game Pass Ultimate will include 15 hours, with additional playtime available for purchase. NVIDIA GeForce NOW’s Performance and Ultimate memberships include a 100-hour monthly playtime limit.
Boosteroid raised its monthly Ultra price from €12.89 to €16.89 on September 15 while keeping monthly playtime unlimited. The company is also expanding beyond cloud gaming through Boosteroid NeoCloud and GPU infrastructure for AI and high-performance computing. Boosteroid says its AMD-based platform can support gaming alongside AI and heavy compute workloads on the same infrastructure. PHYND is taking another route with subscription-free, ad-supported cloud gaming on compatible Smart TVs and streaming devices.
Those approaches put monthly limits, higher subscription pricing, shared GPU infrastructure, and ad-supported access side by side. Amazon’s argument is that its existing AWS scale gives Amazon Luna another way to handle those pressures.
Rising Hardware Costs Strengthen Amazon’s Cloud Gaming Case
Gattis also tied Amazon’s confidence in cloud gaming to what people are paying to get into gaming today. He pointed to rising console hardware prices, increasingly expensive high-end PCs, and higher game prices.
His argument is that cloud gaming can lower the amount someone needs to spend on hardware before they start playing. Amazon sees Amazon Luna as another way into gaming for people who don’t want the same upfront hardware cost.
Brittney Sochowski Hefner, Head of Global Communications, Gaming at Amazon, highlighted Gattis’s comments on LinkedIn this week. Her post focused on Amazon’s confidence in cloud gaming and repeated his argument that Luna is built for the long term.
Amazon Luna’s Long-Term Push Is Already Underway
Amazon has been talking about Amazon Luna as a long-term business well before this interview.
In July, we reported that Amazon wants Amazon Luna to serve tens of millions of people within five years. That five-year goal was already tied to deeper integration across the wider Amazon ecosystem, including Prime Video and Fire TV. The company has also been expanding Amazon Luna’s connection to Prime while continuing to build out GameNight and other ways to play across supported devices.
Gattis’s latest comments fit that direction. Amazon is tying Amazon Luna’s future to Amazon Web Services, Prime, and infrastructure it already operates at scale.
For Amazon, higher hardware and game costs aren’t a reason to pull back from cloud gaming. The company sees them as another reason to expand Amazon Luna.
As always, remember to follow us on our social media platforms (e.g., Threads, X (Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, and Facebook) to stay up-to-date with the latest news. This website contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission when you click on these links and make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. We are an independent site, and the opinions expressed here are our own.
