A video server is configured to provide streaming video to players of computer games over a computing network. The video server can provided video of different games to different players simultaneously. This is accomplished by rendering several video streams in parallel using a single GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The output of the GPU is provided to graphics processing pipelines that are each associated with a specific client/player and are dynamically allocated as needed. A client qualifier may be used to assure that only clients capable of presenting the streaming video to a player at a minimum level of quality receive the video stream. Video frames provided by the video server optionally include overlays added to the output of the GPU. These overlays can include voice data received from another game player.

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include identifying a video game configured to be available to stream from a server within a cloud gaming environment; pre-loading an instance of the video game on the server before receiving a request by a user to stream the video game to a client system; receiving the request by the user to stream the video game; and allocating the pre-loaded instance of the video game to the user for streaming to the client system in response to receiving the request by the user to stream the video game, thereby reducing a latency between the user submitting the request and the video game being ready for the user to stream. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

A system for processing a plurality of graphical programs on a centralized computer system whereby the images produced by the programs are compressed and transmitted to a plurality of remote processing devices where they are decompressed. Compression assistance data (CAD) is produced by intercepting instructions outputted by the programs and the CAD is then used in the compression step.

A video game system includes a video server system (VSS) having a first network address. The VSS pairs a game controller having a second network address with a display system having a third network address. The VSS receives controller data packets directed to the first network address from the game controller over a first communication channel. The controller data packets include the second network address and information for updating a game state of a video game. The VSS decodes the controller data packets and directs generation of an updated game state of the video game using information within the controller data packets. The VSS generates a video stream of the video game using the updated game state. The VSS transmits the video stream to the display system at the third network address over a second communication channel. The first and second communication channels differ by at least one network segment.

Scene aware video content encoding techniques can determine if video content is a given content type and is one of one or more given titles that include one or more given scenes. The one or more given scenes of the video content of the given type and given one of the titles can be encoded using corresponding scenes specific encoding parameter values, and the non-given scenes can be encoded using one or more general encoding parameter values. The one or more given titles can be selected based on a rate of streaming of various video content titles of the given type.

Techniques are disclosed for generating 2D images of a 3D avatar in a virtual world. In one embodiment, a request is received specifying customizations to the 3D avatar. The 2D images are generated based on the request, each 2D image representing the 3D avatar from a different viewing angle in the virtual world. Advantageously, the 2D images may be sent to a client for display, without requiring the client to render the 3D avatar.

A method for game allocation in a game cloud system. The method including tracking state of a plurality of compute nodes of a data center, wherein the plurality of compute nodes is distributed across a plurality of rack assemblies. The method including tracking a plurality of popularity valuations of a plurality of video games. The method including determining a distribution of one or more video games from the plurality of video games across the plurality of rack assemblies based on the plurality of popularity valuations of the plurality of video games. The method including storing the one or more video games from the plurality of video games across the plurality of rack assemblies based on the distribution of the one or more video game that is determined.

A method for determining an environment in which a user is located is described. The method includes receiving a plurality of sets of audio data based on sounds emitted in a plurality of environments. Each of the plurality of environments has a different combination of objects. The method further includes receiving input data regarding the plurality of environments, and training an artificial intelligence (AI) model based on the plurality of sets of audio data and the input data. The method includes applying the AI model to audio data captured from an environment surrounding the first user to determine a type of the environment.

Systems and methods for reducing latency through motion estimation and compensation techniques are disclosed. The systems and methods include a client device that uses transmitted lookup tables from a remote server to match user input to motion vectors, and tag and sum those motion vectors. When a remote server transmits encoded video frames to the client, the client decodes those video frames and applies the summed motion vectors to the decoded frames to estimate motion in those frames. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods generate motion vectors at a server based on predetermined criteria and transmit the generated motion vectors and one or more invalidators to a client, which caches those motion vectors and invalidators. The server instructs the client to receive input from a user, and use that input to match to cached motion vectors or invalidators. Based on that comparison, the client then applies the matched motion vectors or invalidators to effect motion compensation in a graphic interface. In other embodiments, the systems and methods cache repetitive motion vectors at a server, which transmits a previously generated motion vector library to a client. The client stores the motion vector library, and monitors for user input data. The server instructs the client to calculate a motion estimate from the input data and instructs the client to update the stored motion vector library based on the input data, so that the client applies the stored motion vector library to initiate motion in a graphic interface prior to receiving actual motion vector data from the server. In this manner, latency in video data streams is reduced.

Conversion components may receive game video rendered in high-dynamic-range (HDR) and standard-dynamic-range (SDR) camera video of a game player. The conversion components may provide local video output to a local display and remote video output for network transmission to remote viewers. The SDR camera video may be converted to HDR and provided with HDR game video in the local video output. For HDR network transmission, the HDR game video and converted HDR camera video may be included in the remote video output. For SDR network transmission, the HDR game video may be converted to SDR and provided with the SDR camera video in the remote video output. The game video, camera video and other video feeds may have respective portals in the local and remote video outputs. The local and remote video outputs may have respective visual portal arrangements that may be at least partially different from one another.