YouTube plans to begin streaming video in the AV2 format by early 2027, according to CTO Des Keane. The new codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), offers approximately 30% better compression efficiency compared to its predecessor, AV1.
The AV2 specification was finalized four months ago. The codec supports multi-stream and multi-view video, higher frame rates, enhanced HDR capabilities, and features for video surveillance. It remains a royalty-free standard, similar to AV1.
Google has already demonstrated AV2 playback in the Chrome browser, though a public release date remains unannounced. Other platforms, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, are currently evaluating the format's capabilities.
Meta is actively working on the integration of the new technology, as it plans to transition from AV1 to AV2 for its platforms. Meanwhile, VideoLAN is developing a software decoder named dav2d, based on the existing dav1d implementation.
Intel has confirmed its participation in the SVT-AV2 project and showcased progress on software implementations and development tools at IBC 2026. However, there are no official announcements regarding hardware acceleration support for AV2 on CPUs or GPUs.
