Steam Remote Play Tests New Pyrowave Codec for Lower Latency Streaming

Valve is experimenting with a new video codec called Pyrowave for Steam Remote Play, with the goal of reducing streaming latency on fast local networks.

Unlike H.264 and H.265, Pyrowave is not primarily designed to save bandwidth. It instead reduces compression work and prioritizes image quality and responsiveness, shifting more of the load onto the network.

That tradeoff makes the codec most suitable for wired home networks rather than WiFi.

Pyrowave needs a fast wired connection

Valve recommends at least a 1 Gigabit Ethernet network for Pyrowave.

The codec uses much more bandwidth because it performs less aggressive compression than traditional streaming formats.

Feature	Pyrowave
Main goal	Lower latency
Recommended network	1 Gigabit Ethernet or faster
WiFi use	Not ideal
HDR	Supported
YUV 4:4:4	Supported
Target use	Flat screen game streaming
VR support	Not intended
Steam Remote Play status	Experimental

That makes the technology a better fit for systems such as a Steam Machine, docked Steam Deck, or another handheld connected to Ethernet.

Using Pyrowave over weaker wireless connections could introduce instability or consume too much available bandwidth.

Early tests show around 10 to 15ms latency

Testing with Steam Remote Play on a docked ROG Xbox Ally X reportedly produced latency in the range of roughly 10 to 15 milliseconds at 1080p.

The exact result depended on frame rate and other conditions.

That appears to be lower than previous codecs in some situations, although the improvement may not be dramatic enough for every player to notice.

Competitive or latency sensitive games are more likely to benefit than slower games where a few milliseconds make little practical difference.

YUV 4:4:4 should improve text and fine detail

One of the more useful additions is support for YUV 4:4:4 chroma.

Many video codecs reduce color information to save bandwidth, which can make small text and sharp interface elements look softer.

Using 4:4:4 preserves more color detail.

That can improve text readability and produce cleaner edges, particularly at higher resolutions such as 4K.

The benefit is especially relevant for PC game streaming because games often include small interface elements that expose the weaknesses of heavily compressed video.

Difficult scenes may also look cleaner

Pyrowave's lower emphasis on compression could help with scenes that are difficult for conventional codecs.

Fast movement, dense particles, foliage, detailed environments and other visually busy content can sometimes produce compression artifacts during game streaming.

Using more bandwidth allows Pyrowave to preserve more of that information instead of spending as much effort trying to reduce the data rate.

The result could be a cleaner image in demanding scenes, provided the network can handle the larger stream.

HDR support is included

Pyrowave also supports HDR.

That is not unique to the new codec, since Steam Remote Play already supports HDR through other available formats, but it means players do not need to give up high dynamic range when testing Pyrowave.

The more important differences are its bandwidth use, low latency focus and 4:4:4 support.

Valve does not intend Pyrowave for VR

Valve says Pyrowave is intended for traditional flat screen gaming rather than VR.

That decision fits the networking requirements.

Most VR headsets rely on wireless connectivity or specialized display links rather than wired Ethernet, while Pyrowave is designed around the assumption that large amounts of network bandwidth are available.

VR also has especially strict latency requirements, so even a small amount of instability can create problems.

The codec targets local streaming rather than internet use

Pyrowave appears most useful for high quality game streaming inside the home.

A desktop PC could render a game in one room while sending it over Ethernet to a Steam Machine, docked handheld or another display device elsewhere in the house.

In that environment, bandwidth is usually less expensive than latency.

Traditional codecs make more sense when bandwidth is limited, but Pyrowave deliberately takes the opposite approach.

For players with a fast wired network, the codec could provide sharper images and slightly faster response times.

The practical benefit will depend heavily on the hardware, network quality and type of game being streamed, but Pyrowave gives Steam Remote Play another option for players who want to prioritize responsiveness over bandwidth efficiency.