You can now launch Game Pass, Luna titles through Google Search

By Tomas Franzese Published December 13, 2022

Google Search’s newest feature lets players launch games straight from search results. On desktop and mobile, the “Play Now” option will appear for games that are on a supported cloud gaming service.

No console 🎮? No problem. Now you can search and launch video games in the cloud instantly with Google. ☁️ Available in the U.S., in English for mobile and desktop. pic.twitter.com/Zpj5DVBCkD

— Google (@Google) December 13, 2022

Through our own testing today, this option was showing up for games like Halo Infinite that are on Xbox Game Pass, as well as titles like Control: Ultimate Edition that are only on Amazon Luna. If a game happens to be on both, like Windjammers 2, then the option to play the game on either service will show up.

Recommended Videos

On desktop, the Play Now section appears right under the game title and featured images on the right side of the search results. On mobile, we had to scroll past the People also ask section. multiple search results, and the People also search for section to find the Play Now option. Clicking on it brought us to each game’s Xbox Game Pass or Amazon Luna page, from which we could boot the game and start playing.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

It is a bit of an awkward addition, considering it’s releasing a little too late to benefit Google’s proprietary cloud gaming service. While previous tests for this feature included Google Stadia, that service did not show up for us during our own testing with Stadia-supported games like Doom Eternal. That’s likely because Google announced that it plans to shut Stadia down in January 2023. That is a shame, because a feature like this really would’ve brought a lot more attention to the struggling cloud gaming platform. Although it’s not going to attract people to Google’s own cloud gaming service, it’s still a helpful addition for those searching for games that are included in the Xbox Game Pass or Amazon Luna subscriptions.

According to Google, this feature should now be available to everyone using Google Search on desktop or mobile in the United States.

Topics

Gaming Staff Writer

As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

Overwatch 2 is now on Xbox Game Pass, and it comes with perks

Overwatch 2 skins: Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtleship D.Va, Cyberdragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver

Blizzard Entertainment surprise dropped Overwatch 2 on Xbox Game Pass on Tuesday, despite the game being free to play and already on Xbox.

You might find this to be a strange addition, but as a Blizzard blog post specifies, this is more about encouraging players to link their Battle.net and Xbox accounts. As a reward, players that do so will receive six exclusive skins: Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtleship D.Va, Cyberdragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver. (The image of a Reinhardt in a cardboard suit is delightful.) Players will also get 30 Mythic Prisms that they can use in the Mythic Shop for other skins.

Gaming

Astro Bot isn’t on Xbox, but you can play these great platformers on Game Pass

Raz runs on a colorful stage in Psychonauts 2.

Astro Bot is an undeniable win for PlayStation. It's not just a celebration of the brand and many of the franchises that built it into what it is today, but it's also a fantastic 3D platformer that uses the PS5 hardware in creative ways. As a Sony-published game spotlighting the history of the company, it's obviously not on Xbox. In fact, I've seen a lot of people lamenting that Xbox does not have a lot of good platformers in the wake of Astro Bot's well-received launch.

Although it's accurate to say that Xbox doesn't have an exclusive quite like Astro Bot, a few excellent 3D platformers are available on Xbox Game Pass. Many of them are even IP now owned by Microsoft or outright published by Xbox Game Studios. If you have an Xbox console and Game Pass subscription and feel like you're missing out on Astro Bot, consider playing one of these games to make that feeling a little less painful.
Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2

Gaming

You can try the new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier for $1

An Xbox Series X sits next to both Series S models.

Xbox Insiders will be the first to check out the new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier. The plan costs just $1 per month for testers, who can also provide feedback, starting today.

Xbox has also clarified its plans for Game Pass Standard, the new tier for its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, and which games will be available for it. In an Xbox Wire post published Tuesday, Xbox Game Pass senior community lead Megan Spurr noted that day-one titles will still only come to the Game Pass Ultimate and PC plans. The Standard tier will only have access to the regular Game Pass catalog. That's not nothing, but it does mean that if day-one games stay on the service, they might be available on Standard until "up to 12 months later or more."