● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
Steam Remote Play adds Pyrowave codec for improved local network game streaming
Key points
- Steam beta client now includes Pyrowave codec for Remote Play.
- Pyrowave aims to reduce latency and improve image quality for local game streaming.
- The codec uses Discrete Wavelet Transforms and intra-frame encoding.
- Pyrowave requires 5-10 times more bandwidth than traditional codecs.
Pyrowave Integration in Steam Remote Play
Steam has added the Pyrowave codec to its beta client for Remote Play. This integration is intended to enhance the experience of game streaming over local area networks (LANs). Pyrowave was developed by Hans-Kristian Arntzen, known for his work on libretro and Retroarch, specifically to address limitations of existing video codecs for interactive game streaming.
Addressing Latency and Image Quality Issues
Traditional game streaming often introduces noticeable input lag, even on low-latency LANs, due to the encoding, transmission, and decoding process. Standard video codecs also compromise image quality through techniques like chroma subsampling, which can negatively affect text readability in games and desktop environments. Pyrowave aims to mitigate these issues.
How Pyrowave Works
Unlike conventional video codecs that use Discrete Cosine Transforms and inter-frame encoding, Pyrowave employs Discrete Wavelet Transforms and intra-frame encoding, similar to Motion JPEG2000. This approach provides consistent frame-to-frame quality and strong error resilience. Pyrowave is designed to be computed on the GPU's shader array, contributing to its low latency.
Bandwidth Implications
While offering benefits in latency and image quality, Pyrowave demands significantly more bandwidth. The codec requires '5-10 times' more bandwidth compared to traditional video codecs. This trade-off means users will need robust local network infrastructure to fully utilize Pyrowave's advantages.
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Reporting from
Steam has integrated the Pyrowave codec into its beta client for Remote Play, aiming to reduce latency and improve image quality for in-home game streaming. Developed by Hans-Kristian Arntzen, Pyrowave uses a different encoding method than traditional codecs, offering consistent quality and low latency at the cost of higher bandwidth usage.