Steam Remote Play Gains PyroWave Codec for Low Latency

Valve has integrated a new video codec, PyroWave, into the beta version of Steam Remote Play, specifically designed for game streaming within home networks. The technology's author is Hans-Christiaan Steensma, known for creating RetroArch.

Issues with Standard Codecs

Traditional streaming relies on AVC and AV1 video codecs, which introduce latencies of tens of milliseconds due to encoding and decoding processes. Compression also negatively impacts the clarity of small text in games.

How PyroWave Works

The new codec employs wavelets and encodes each frame independently, functioning similarly to Motion JPEG2000. Computations are performed via GPU shaders rather than hardware blocks, ensuring ultra-low latency.

• Stable image quality without frame-to-frame fluctuations
• Resilience to packet loss
• High bandwidth consumption (5–10 times greater than standard codecs)

Testing showed traffic usage of approximately 210 Mbps. Data is transmitted only within the local network, so the internet connection is not utilized; however, load on other devices may be significant.

A gigabit Ethernet connection is required for stable operation, although users report functionality over Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. The codec is available in the Steam beta client for Windows, macOS, and Linux; VR support is currently absent.