Amazon launches try-before-you-buy

Amazon is testing a Twitch feature called “Game Lift” that lets some viewers play a game demo in their browser from inside a livestream. (gamespot.com) (help.twitch.tv) The test surfaced on April 22, 2026, when creator-industry reporter Zach Bussey posted that Twitch was offering a 20-minute demo of Reanimal. Reports said the demo was available on desktop web in the United States and Canada. (gamespot.com) (dexerto.com) The reported flow is simple: watch a stream, click into the demo, play in-browser, then jump to a store page to buy the full game. Games.GG and Windows Report both said the current test sends users to Steam after the session ends. (games.gg) (windowsreport.com) Twitch has not announced a full rollout. Its experiments page says the company regularly releases features to a subset of users for a limited period to measure impact before deciding on wider development. (help.twitch.tv) The underlying technology fits with Amazon’s broader cloud-gaming strategy. On March 6, 2025, Amazon Web Services introduced GameLift Streams, a service that lets developers stream games to “any device with a browser.” (aboutamazon.com) Amazon said GameLift Streams can deliver 1080p gameplay at 60 frames per second and is meant to help developers reach players without requiring downloads or custom streaming infrastructure. (aboutamazon.com) That matters on Twitch because the service already sits at the center of game discovery. GamesIndustry.biz reported in April 2025 that Twitch captured more than 60% of global game livestream audiences in 2024 and logged 15.6 billion hours watched. (gamesindustry.biz) Amazon has been building the rest of that stack for years through Twitch, Prime Gaming, Luna, and Amazon’s game storefronts. The company’s Luna service already streams games through browsers and connected devices, which makes in-browser demos a familiar pattern inside Amazon’s ecosystem. (aboutamazon.com) (games.amazon.com) The test also lands after Amazon shut down a different “Try Before You Buy” program for Prime apparel shoppers on January 31, 2025. Amazon told news outlets that service had limited scale and that customers were increasingly using artificial intelligence-powered shopping tools instead. (usatoday.com) (retaildive.com) In games, though, Amazon appears to be trying the phrase in a different form: not shipping products home first, but letting viewers sample a title instantly where they already watch it. For now, “Game Lift” is still a test, and Twitch has not said when or whether it will expand. (gamespot.com) (help.twitch.tv)