Amazon Luna may be losing more games than it has been getting recently, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t still chipping away and adding new features! One of the newest features to be added is the ability to use nearly any controller you have lying around your house with the service – directly connected to the cloud Luna servers!
Aptly named “Cloud Direct,” this option allows you to add any controller to your mobile device which then connects directly to Luna’s servers. We did hear rumblings of this coming a few months ago which our very own Jack Deslippe reported on.
This isn’t completely new in the cloud gaming scene as Stadia did this quite a while ago. But it is great to see it added to Luna, nevertheless.
How does it work?
First you will need to download the Amazon Luna Controller app (Android, Apple).
Once you have done this, connect your favorite controller to your device either via a Bluetooth or wired connection.
Then, open the app and launch “Connect non-Luna Controllers.”
It will then detect your controller and connect it to the servers when you start playing.
The biggest downside to using Cloud Direct (and this was also present with Stadia’s Phone Link) is that, whilst you are using your phone as a bridge the phone screen needs to stay on the above screen.
This means opening another app or checking that last message will cause the controller to disconnect. Luna doesn’t seem to pause the game like Stadia did – which could be a problem. Of course, the other downside to having your screen on all the time is the issue of battery life.
Whilst playing you do get a notification every time the controller connects and disconnects. It seems to disconnect and reconnect several times during the initial game load up. It doesn’t affect gameplay normally as this occurs only when the game is loading, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
How stable is it?
That’s a difficult question to answer. I have tried it with a Stadia controller and an Xbox Series controller – both wired and connected via Bluetooth to my Pixel 6 and all options work really well. There is a very slight delay when connected via Bluetooth compared to wired, but nothing that is unplayable.
Like all cloud gaming features and services, your mileage will vary dependent on internet connection etc. But I am glad this has been added. It’s great for accessibility and reduces the barrier to entry even further.
What other feature would you like to see added to Luna? Let us know in the comments.
