YouTube has announced plans to introduce AV2 streaming on the web by early 2027. This new royalty-free codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media, is designed to succeed AV1 and offers approximately 30% better compression efficiency. The format supports higher frame rates, multi-stream and multi-view video, and improved HDR capabilities.
The implementation of AV2 aims to provide sharper video quality at existing bitrates or maintain current quality levels while reducing bandwidth consumption. Google has already demonstrated AV2 playback within the Chrome browser. This initial demonstration took place at CES 2026, where video was streamed to a gaming laptop at 1080p resolution and 24 FPS using a custom browser build.
While Google has confirmed the timeline for YouTube, specific details regarding which Chrome version will support the codec or whether it will be enabled by default remain undisclosed. Other major industry players, including Netflix and Prime Video, are currently exploring the format without providing specific rollout dates. Meta and Intel are also actively participating in the development and adoption of the standard.
