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Bethesda's new streaming tech lowers bar for requirements, works with Stadia, xCloud
- Game publisher Bethesda has unveiled a suite of streaming technologies called Orion.
- Orion enables up to 20 percent less latency per frame and uses up to 40 percent less bandwidth.
- The publisher says it’ll work with Google Stadia, Project xCloud, and other streaming services.
The E3 festivities have finally started, as the likes of Microsoft and Bethesda held their press conferences on Sunday. We already seen a few more details regarding Microsoft’s game streaming efforts, but the latter publisher has unveiled some interesting technology too.
Bethesda used its press conference to announce Orion, a suite of technologies to make game engines work better in a streaming situation. The publisher says Orion is game- and platform-agnostic, with executives at E3 adding that it’ll play nicely with Google Stadia, Microsoft’s xCloud, and other streaming platforms.
“Integrated within the game engine itself, Orion can achieve dramatic latency reductions of up to 20 percent per frame and requires up to 40 percent less bandwidth. The Orion technology is complementary to the hardware technology in data centers built by other streaming providers, ensuring much better results when paired together,” the publisher said in a statement.
A huge plus for more gamers
Bethesda adds that this should bring game streaming to players living far away from data centers. This is pretty noteworthy, as practically all game streaming services require players to live close to the host data center for an optimum experience.
“With Orion, players can live far from data centers and still be able to stream Doom at 60 FPS, with 4K resolution and without perceptible latency,” said Bethesda director of publishing James Altman. It’s not clear just how far away you can be before Orion’s benefits aren’t felt.
The move should also be a boon for mobile gamers, as cellular networks aren’t the first choice for streaming. Whether it’s the erratic latency or limited data caps in some parts of the world, gamers looking to stream over mobile networks could benefit most from this type of technology.
The publisher demonstrated Orion tech by playing Doom 2016 at 60fps and with “high” visual quality on a smartphone. Keen to see what all the fuss is about? Well, you can sign up for a preview via the button below. Unfortunately, the first preview is limited to iOS11+ devices right now, but you can also sign up to be notified if you’re on PC or Android. Check it out below.