Key Points
- Comcast has partnered with Amazon to bring the Luna cloud gaming platform to X1 and Xumo Stream Box devices, allowing subscribers to stream games without a console.
- Xfinity customers can pair Bluetooth controllers and access more than 50 Luna titles through Prime or Luna Premium, with some games supporting mobile-based GameNight play.
- The move broadens Comcast’s entertainment ecosystem and boosts the value of X1 and Xumo hardware as the company doubles down on video and broadband amid industry shifts.
Comcast is making a push into gaming by partnering with Amazon to bring that company’s gaming platform Luna to its X1 set-top boxes and Xumo Stream Box, the companies told The Desk on Thursday.
Starting this week, Comcast’s Xfinity TV and Xfinity Internet subscribers with X1 or Xumo boxes can pair a Bluetooth gaming controller to their devices and access hundreds of games available to stream from Luna. The devices will also work with Amazon’s own Luna gaming controller, Comcast affirmed.
More than 50 games are available to stream from the cloud-based platform, and the titles are available to anyone with an Amazon Prime membership or separate subscription to Luna Premium. Some titles work with the “GameNight” feature, which allows anyone to scan a QR code with their mobile phone and join in the action — no controller needed.
“At Amazon, we’re focused on making gaming more accessible for our customers, and this collaboration with Comcast allows us to reach more customers across the US,” Jeff Gattis, the General Manager of Amazon Luna, said in a statement. “Comcast’s reach and versatility makes it a great fit as we continue to scale Amazon Luna and its growing content library across more devices, more homes, and more players.”
The partnership between Comcast and Amazon brings Luna within reach of more than 11 million Xfinity TV subscribers, most of whom use the service on the X1 platform. Comcast also has more than 33 million Xfinity Internet subscribers who are eligible to lease a Xumo Stream Box as part of their service.
Comcast doesn’t report how many of its TV customers use X1 and how many of its Internet subscribers lease Xumo Stream Boxes. Amazon says Luna Premium is available to its 200 million Prime members around the world, but doesn’t disclose how many of those customers are actually using the gaming platform.
Still, the partnership is a signal that Comcast continues to prioritize its traditional and connected TV businesses at a time when many telecoms are pulling out of video in favor of broadband. If Luna catches on with Comcast’s subscribers, it has the potential to make its video and broadband platforms stickier over the long term.
The integration of Luna also increases the value proposition of the X1 platform and Xumo Stream Box for Comcast subscribers who have yet to take either devices.
“Xfinity is redefining what it means to game on the big screen,” said Fraser Stirling, the Global Chief Product Officer at Comcast. “By combining our superior broadband with our world-class entertainment platform, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to jump into high-quality cloud gaming experiences like Amazon Luna – no console, no downloads, just seamless play on top of the best WiFi for gamers.”
The integration of Luna into Comcast’s devices builds on a number of announcements made by the telecom over the past few months. In June, Comcast relaunched its Xfinity Internet plans to include unmetered data and faster download speeds with no contracts. Xfinity Internet service now starts at $40 per month.
On Wednesday, Comcast said it was bringing the same initiative to its Xfinity TV plans, relaunching five packages with transparent, all-in pricing that eliminates hidden fees and includes X1 equipment. Peacock is included in two of the five plans, which range from “TV Core” for local channels and goes all the way to “TV Premium” for a package of specialty channels and league-owned sports networks.
