YouTube streams may look better and buffer less as soon as early 2027

AV2 is coming to YouTube in the not too distant future. YouTube streams may look better and buffer less as soon as early 2027. Mobile YouTube streams may look better and buffer less as soon as early 2027 AV2 is coming to YouTube in the not too distant future.

The AV2 codec will initially launch for the web version of YouTube. The company also hints at benefits for multi-view experiences. Earlier this year, the Alliance for Open Media released the definitive specs for the AV2 codec, which should 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 should adopt AV2, and it could arrive sooner than you would expect.