Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Earlier this year, the Alliance for Open Media released the definitive specs for the AV2 codec, which is expected to be about 25% to 32% more efficient than AV1. That means you get higher-quality streaming for the same bitrate or comparable quality at a lower bitrate. The benefit is that the codec can reduce the amount of bandwidth you’re consuming. YouTube is expected to adopt AV2, and it could arrive sooner than you would expect.
While partners like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple have been quiet on rollout plans, it appears that YouTube isn’t quite as shy. According to FlatpanelsHD, YouTube has revealed that it is looking to roll out the codec in early 2027. The plan is to initially launch AV2 for the web version of the platform.
In a quote, Engineering Director at YouTube Des Keane said:
Adding to this update, Engineering VP of Chrome Jim Bankoski hints that adoption could have benefits for multi-view experiences:
While YouTube appears to be gung-ho about rolling out AV2, it may take a while before other platforms and hardware manufacturers follow suit. Keep in mind that AV1 launched in 2018 and we didn’t see the first smartphone with AV1 encoding until the Pixel 10. Wide adoption will ultimately depend on hardware and software support, but you’ll have a hard time finding any devices or media players that support AV2 right now.
