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Bethesda announced a suite of patented game streaming “technologies” called Orion on stage during its E3 2019 press conference. Developed by id Software, following “years of research and development,” the Orion technology is designed to reduce the latency, bandwidth and computing power needed to deliver a solid experience for a streaming video game. Instead of the hardware approach favored by platforms like Google Stadia and xCloud, id’s technology optimizes game engines themselves for “performance in a cloud environment.”
Promising 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, Bethesda’s James Altman puts Orion in the pantheon of the company’s tech firsts, such as the first first-person shooter, mods on consoles and, boldly, the first consumer-ready virtual reality headsets (a claim it famously litigated and won in 2018).
In order to further validate the technology, Bethesda will be inviting select members of its Doom Slayers Club to experience Doom (2016) later this year, and is encouraging those interested to sign up “tonight.” Stay tuned for more on our hands-on experience with Orion.
