I've found a generally higher bar than places like Microsoft but definitely a much lower bar than other FAANG companies, unicorns, and even tiny-but-potentially-elite startups run by people who know what they're doing.
Agreed, Microsoft was an even lower bar... but in a good way: I felt they just wanted someone with basic CS knowledge, whereas the Amazon interviewers seemed to think they were some sort of elite group of engineers.
That's just one data point, and maybe what you're describing is for more senior hires?