Valve Adds Pyrowave Codec to Steam Remote Play Beta
Steam's beta client now uses the Pyrowave codec for Remote Play, trading 5-10x bandwidth for GPU-based encoding over local networks.
Valve has added the Pyrowave video codec to Steam's beta client for Remote Play, according to patch notes reported by Tom's Hardware. The codec is the work of open-source developer Hans-Kristian Arntzen, known for his contributions to libretro and RetroArch.
Pyrowave relies on Discrete Wavelet Transforms and intra-frame encoding, an approach similar to Motion JPEG2000. Rather than using fixed-function video hardware, it runs on the GPU's shader array.
The trade-off is bandwidth. Valve's patch notes state the codec consumes 5-10 times the bandwidth of other streaming codecs. In a test streaming Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis to a Lenovo Legion Go S, it measured about 210 megabits per second on default settings.
Because of those requirements, Pyrowave is intended for use over a local network rather than the internet. The codec is available now in the Steam beta client.
Quick answers
What is Pyrowave in Steam Remote Play?
Pyrowave is a video codec created by open-source developer Hans-Kristian Arntzen. Steam's beta client now implements it for Remote Play.
How much bandwidth does Pyrowave use?
Valve's patch notes say it uses 5-10 times the bandwidth of other streaming codecs. A test measured about 210 megabits per second on default settings.
Can Pyrowave be used over the internet?
No. It is intended for use over a local network.