AWS Announces Game Streaming Solution Ahead of GDC

With Amazon GameLift Streams, AWS presented a new solution for platform-independent game streaming ahead of GDC. AWS promises high performance with little to no modification of code. Bandai Namco, Jackbox, Ludeo, and Xsolla are already using the solution.

The timing is deliberate. Just a few days before the international game developer scene meets in San Francisco for the Game Developers Conference (GDC), AWS has introduced the new Amazon GameLift Streams solution. This is a new capability of Amazon GameLift, the game server solution from AWS.

Amazon GameLift Streams enables games to be streamed to any device with a WebRTC-enabled browser. According to the company, games can be streamed at 1080p and 60 frames per second, with gameplay starting within a few seconds.

AWS promises extremely low-threshold integration. Large investments—for example, in infrastructure or software development—are not necessary. The solution works independently of the engine used and supports Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari, as well as any other browser that supports the WebRTC open protocol.

"With more than 750 million people playing games running on AWS every month, we have a long history of supporting the industry’s game development, content creation, player acquisition, personalization, and more. Amazon GameLift Streams can help the game industry transform billions of everyday devices around the world into gaming machines without rebuilding game code or managing their own infrastructure. For game developers, this creates exciting new revenue and monetization opportunities that weren’t possible before." - Chris Lee, General Manager and Head of Immersive Technology at AWS.

AWS also named the first customers using Amazon GameLift Streams. Xsolla, for example, uses GameLift Streams for the Xsolla Cloud Game solution. Jackbox Games uses it to stream its more than 50 party games to smart TVs and other devices. Bandai Namco uses Amazon GameLift Streams to stream an immersive metaverse platform from the Gundam franchise.

One particularly interesting use case is Ludeo's. The gaming social media platform, which is currently in development, uses Amazon GameLift Streams to stream game demos. The new AWS service could therefore revive test-and-buy concepts for AAA games or establish playable ad concepts, similar to those seen in the mobile gaming sector.

According to AWS, the streaming solution is also suitable for Q&A game testing, allowing tests without prior installation. Partners could also be integrated without requiring them to hand over their code.

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