I recently got a Quest 3 and have it set up with my Puppis S1 (2401mbps link), but I’m not sure which codec to use in Virtual Desktop for the best experience. I’ve heard different codecs work better for different games, but I’m looking for a good all-round setting. Any recommendations for a ‘set and forget’ codec/bitrate that works well? My system is a 7800x3d and 4080s. Thanks!
I haven’t tried AV1 since I don’t have a 4000 series GPU, but it’s supposed to be the best for VR streaming. It gives the same quality at a lower bitrate. I personally use HEVC 10-bit at 200Mbps and it works great for me.
I have a 4070 ti and I use high presets with AV1 at 200Mbps for all games and video buffer off. AV1 gives better quality than h264+ in my experience. For multiplayer games like Racket Club, I use AV1 at 80Mbps with buffer off.
Do you not get stutters with buffering off? I have a similar setup (Puppis S1, no overlapping WiFi channels), and I can’t turn off buffering without issues.
Haven’t tried AV1 yet, but it’s supposed to be great. Make sure to select 10-bit color—it really improves the visuals. I’m using h265 10-bit at 150mbps and it’s working well.
While AV1 looks better, it can have higher latency compared to h264+ at the same bitrate. I wouldn’t just ‘set and forget’ because wireless PCVR can be pretty finicky—it takes some tinkering to find the sweet spot, like old school PC gaming.
I find h264+ at 300mbps is the best balance between quality and latency. I’m running a 13900k with a 4090 and 6GHz WiFi, so that setup works for me.
The only way to find the best codec for YOU is to try them all at their max bitrate. Experimenting is key.
I tried a few different codecs for Microsoft Flight Simulator and found h264 to be the sharpest, but it was a bit slow. I settled on HEVC (not 10-bit) and it works well. I’m using an RTX 4070.
If you want a ‘set and forget’ option, just leave it on AUTO and let Virtual Desktop decide for you.
I use h264 at 500mbps for sim racing. The other codecs struggle with fast movement. Skyrim is also much better with h264 at 500mbps. My network latency is around 4-5ms, so it works well with a good router.