Bethesda says its Orion technology improves game streaming
Integrated at the engine level, Orion optimizes games for services like Stadia.
At its E3 conference today, Bethesda announced Orion, a "collection of technologies" that optimizes game engines for streaming on cloud services like Google Stadia.
So to be clear, Orion isn't Bethesda's own game streaming service. It is something game developers can integrate with their games to "provide players with a fundamentally better streaming experience." The first example of Orion in action is provided by Doom 2016, which is one of Stadia's launch games.
On stage, Bethesda demonstrated Doom streaming to a phone, and claimed there was no "perceptible latency," though that's obviously not a claim we'll just take at face value.
We'll be able to try Doom streaming ourselves, though. No details on the trial were announced, except that you've got to join the Doom Slayers Club tonight for a chance to get in.
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Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.