Star Wars: Galactic Racer Launches Today, Free for Amazon Prime Members!

One of the standout games of the year is, surprisingly, a Star Wars-themed roguelike arcade racing title. I didn’t see that coming either, but it’s true. Star Wars: Galactic Racer is fantastic and ranks among the best arcade racers I’ve experienced in years. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can dive in right now for free via streaming, though keep in mind this might not be the optimal version.

Launching today on Xbox, PS5, and PC, Star Wars: Galactic Racer delivers a thrilling racing experience that fuses roguelike elements with high-speed racing and podracing, making it one of the year’s top games. In my recent review, I didn’t have many criticisms of this new Star Wars racer, aside from some repetitive hub areas between events. So, when I learned that Amazon would feature Galactic Racer on its game-streaming service Luna for Prime members on launch day, I was thrilled, as it meant more players could experience it. However, after trying it out, I’m hesitant to recommend investing too much time in this version.

It’s pretty cool to visit a webpage, hit start, and have Star Wars: Galactic Racer load up on my screen in seconds without any downloads or updates. That’s one of the appealing aspects of game streaming. When I kicked off an arcade event, I was pleasantly surprised to find that, at least with my connection and setup, there was no noticeable input lag or delay. That’s crucial for a game that moves as quickly as Galactic Racer.

Unfortunately, the visuals in Galactic Racer via Luna Streaming leave much to be desired. I encountered low-resolution textures, pop-in issues, image artifacts, and an overall blurriness. The game looks stunning on console and PC, boasting sharp image quality and a wealth of Star Wars details to discover. So, this downgraded, less polished version of the racing game is quite disappointing.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that the Luna version lacks multiplayer features. It only offers single-player races and events. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it adds to the list of drawbacks for this version of Star Wars: Galactic Racer.

If you have no other way to play Galactic Racer, the streaming version on Luna is passable. However, I’d suggest experiencing it on a console or PC instead, using the Luna version primarily as a quick demo to see if it piques your interest. If you find yourself wanting to play more, opt for Galactic Racer on another platform to enjoy one of the best games of the year in its full glory.