Want to play XDefiant without a Console or PC? Check it out + Free Games!

 

If you're here, you want to play XDefiant without a console or PC, and while it may be simple for some... others may need to order a few things:

• Grab your Fire TV or Fire Stick 4K (Max)
• Grab your favorite controller or get the Luna Controller which works through your router or bluetooth.
• Use the TV speakers, a pair of headphones, or soundbar
• Go to... the Luna App on your Fire TV or in your Fire Stick 4K

Dive in... and get access to XDefiant and many other games without an additional monthly fee beyond your Amazon Prime subscription. 

Having the Fire Stick 4K certainly opens more doors because you have access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but... outside of that, I had to write this article because access to console quality gaming has never been easier. Sure we had TV's back in the day that had boxes containing little games (remember the ones in the hotels back in the day you weren't allowed to spend money on?), but... come on son! That's not the same, you can literally just turn on the telly and join gamers from other platforms to get in some game time.

I met a few gamers last week who were leaving work, and they were ready to get in some game time to round out their night. We chopped it up for about 10 to 15 minutes after they spoke about Call of Duty and Battlefield. Now you know... that caught my attention, and I had to ask them if they've ever played XDefiant. After that conversation, let's just say they were going to give it a whirl. Imagine the person who would love to play but they're left out because they don't have a console or PC? 

Streaming has been around for awhile now (I was an Onlive user for the duration), but... Amazon is opening doors that I can't help but give props too. The games I owned on Onlive, disappeared with the platform, and while Amazon is much more stable than that company was... you don't have to worry about your stats and gear disappearing in XDefiant if it ever leaves Amazon Luna. Since it's tied to your Ubisoft account, just like your other games you can stream for free through Luna, you can pick up and play... elsewhere without skipping a beat (no starting over).

Overall, It's easier to get someone to consider a game when they find out that all they really need is a controller and an affordable streaming stick to get even more out of their Amazon Prime account, and the deal on the Amazon Luna Controller is a great way to get started. 

For Prime Day, the Luna Controller is... 43% off ($39.99), and you can still do an $8/month payment plan on it, just like the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

For Prime Day, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is... 42% off ($34.99), and the payment plan is $7/month if you with to go that route. There is no additional interest to worry about with other of these. So if you don't buy them both outright (for $74.98), you can have them both for... $15/month (paid off in 5 months). I'll leave it there, you have the information to do with what you will. 

By the way, don't miss out on the free games being served up during prime day, one of which is... Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. So on that note, grab some games, power on your controller and... Game on!

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Is the Xbox console still worth the money? Possibly... but

I think we're about to bid the Xbox farewell as a console. I said this in the past because they were placing their games on PC via the Gamepass, and you can play games directly on select Samsung Gaming Hub TVs via Gamepass.

Now Playstation owners are at the door of in terms of playing Xbox games, which doesn't necessarily spell doom and gloom for Xbox as a company, but... the console just might be sailing off into the sunset as Xbox potentially goes all digital beyond its game controllers and other peripherals... because they're still playable on PC.

I honestly don't mind this move, although it could mean the door is closing on the Xbox console. Microsoft actually has a solid opportunity to make the Xbox bigger than the actual console if they go the route of Luna, and Roku even harder. I say that because we're gaming on TVs, and if they can get Gamepass on more TV's... for the purpose of streaming, then what good is the console... if the internet connection is solid?

Pair an Xbox controller to the TV or over WiFi similar to what the Luna controller does, and it would simply be another streaming service without the cost of pumping out a new console. This would allow Xbox gamers to keep those achievements racking up, playing multiplayer games and the party (chat) would continue. I know the downside to that is no offline gameplay, but if this is the way Xbox is going... it's a way for us to benefit even more (got a smart TV... you have an Xbox... basically).

See: Samsung Gaming Hub | Samsung Gaming Hub TVs | Samsung Gaming Hub Controller

If you're still ticked about this, remember... Microsoft does this though where they trip over their own shoelaces that were intentionally untied by them. Just like with the Windows Phones, what's the incentive of rocking with the phone if they were making the first-party apps accessible on other phones? Microsoft always wants to reach customers beyond their platforms. Xbox games on Playstation may not make everyone rejoice, but that would make it a 2-in-1 console. PC gamers have had the pleasure of enjoying multiple games from various platforms for decades, but this console war may ultimately end up being Nintendo vs PlayStation. The good thing though is that there are enough differences for both to be appreciated, but... at the same time, Sony can't get comfortable because with options out there to game simply by streaming from a TV app... the door to competition is still open.

Overall, is the Xbox console still worth the money? Possibly... but I'd say don't run out to buy one at full retail during this stage in the game unless they can assure console owners that they will maintain support for quite some time.

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Amazon Luna Controller... Reviewed!

 

The Luna controller arrived in time for Amazon Prime Day, but I wanted to follow up with an actual review of this controller that totally gives off... Saints Row vibes. Is it good... or does Amazon need to stick to being a great place to shop online? Let's jump in and find out... after an unboxing!

Quality + Comfort: The quality in this controller is there, it doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart from a bump or a drop. Also, the package is... sturdy enough to secure the controller during delivery.

The digital buttons are clicky, but... not as clicky as an Xbox controller. That's not to say they're better than the LB + RB on the Xbox controller... but they feel good and made me lean in that direction until I thought about those times that I needed to rapidly click LB or RB.

The trigger buttons are comparable, but the LT + RT on the Luna controller are slightly lower and feel like they give a bit more resistance so you can gauge your squeeze.

As far as the analog sticks go, no complaints there... and I actually really like these, definitely quality. One thing I'm not crazy about is the buttons on the Luna Controller. I'm not saying they aren't usable, I'm just thinking about how those will feel after a while of using them without being as easy to press (compared to the Xbox buttons). It's not that the buttons stick or something, they work... but there's a lighter button press to use the Xbox controller.

Design: The Luna Controller is... similar to the quality of standard console controllers you're familiar with and has the same layout as the Xbox controller. There are some things that I noticed are a bit better than the Xbox controller. The underbelly of the hand grips has a texture that you can feel a lot more than the Xbox controller's subtle texture. 

Believe it or not, the Xbox controller has a textured underbelly on the hand grips, but you can't feel it as much. The best way to tell is to drag your nail below the B button down to the bottom in the front, and then flip the controller and do the same to the back. Do you feel a difference?

Take a look at the underbelly of the Luna Controller hand grips, it looks like braille (not sure if it is or not) but that's how much you can see it on the back of the controller. You can even see it in the image below.

Another thing that I was able to see off the bat in terms of difference is the grip around the analog stick. You can feel the grip on these... and they feel good and give a quality touch to the controller.

As far as the LB + RB button & LT + RT triggers, they may look like your standard set... but the design is smooth and rounded where the fingers would go on them. There isn't an edge on the LB + RB and a very minimal edge on the LT + RT triggers, it's set up well and you may not even realize it if you don't look at this sort of stuff. A bad controller build presents obvious problems, but good designs may go unnoticed, that's why this review exists (in part).

The D-pad works, and I notice the little bump around it that allowed me to slide my thumb from the surface of the body to the d-pad whether it was intentional or not (though not as smooth as the Xbox controller). There's also a 3.5mm line in/out for your headset, and a USB-C Port to connect to your PC.

One thing this design is missing is the ability to connect a battery pack, so you will have to get the AA's poppin whether they're the basics (that come with the controller) or the rechargeable ones (which deliver a lot more value).

**Amazon, I would've paid a little more for an option that came with rechargeable batteries and a little battery charger. I'd rather reduce, reuse, and recycle... but maybe they'll consider it in the future (even if it's just swapping standards for rechargeable ones).

Another thing I'm not crazy about when it comes to this controller are the X, Y, A, and B buttons. They work, but for long gameplay sessions... they should be a bit easier to press.

Functionality: I wanted to save this before we jumped into pricing because there are pluses about this controller that make it worth buying (at least for some).
 
The Luna Controller has Alexa, which allows you to jump straight to a game on an Alexa-enabled device. You can connect to a device via Bluetooth (which isn't much of a wow, but... it's a nice option), and the same applies to USB-C, but... there's something else. You can connect this controller to Wifi.

This stood out to me, because... why would you need to connect a controller to Wifi, but... the technology allows the most responsive feedback from the Luna Controller when cloud gaming (according to Amazon). Does it work? I'll let you be the judge of that.

Price: Pricewise, the Amazon Luna Controller lands at the standard price of $69.99. I don't really have any complaints about this, and I know that you can play certain games free (which are rotated out after a period of time), but... I think Amazon should throw in a month free of the full experience.

Quality + Comfort 4

Design 5

Functionality 5

Price 5

4.75 out of 5 Cool Points

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