Processing units enhance VR and 4K streaming experiences

“The cost and visual experience a device delivers are key purchasing factors for Generation Z and mainstream mobile users,” said James McNiven, General Manager for CPU and media processing groups, ARM. “Our latest Mali video and graphics IP suite meets this demand by offering immersive VR, gaming and compliance with real-time video standards. This is a system-level media solution that enables developers to balance performance, efficiency and cost control.”

Mali-V61: Addressing real-time video applications for Generation Z
The Mali-V61 delivers efficient 4K live streaming for real-time video applications such as Facebook Live and Periscope. The live streaming advantages of the Mali-V61 are enabled by a 50% bit-rate saving over previous generation codecs to enable efficient transmission of high definition content. The Mali-V61 also scales from 1080p60 on a single core, up to 4K120 on multiple cores.

Inclusion of VP9 encode in the Mali-V61 enables the ecosystem to future-proof silicon and devices, as VP9 encode is soon expected to be a requirement in Android and Google apps. The Mali-V61 VPU is a multi-standard codec featuring high quality HEVC and VP9 encode in a single scalable IP block.

Mali-G51: Enabling premium features and VR on mainstream devices
Consumers purchasing mainstream smartphones expect enhanced functionality and access to features including low power VR such as virtual spaces, superior everyday gaming, AR and fast browsing. Based on ARM’s Bifrost architecture which has been updated to include a redesigned texturing unit with double the throughput, the Mali-G51 GPU enables these use cases, bringing premium graphics to mainstream mobile devices.

“We’re now seeing demand for mainstream devices to cater for not only complex UIs and casual gaming but also low power VR and virtual spaces applications,” said Shen Li, General Manager, Joint Development Product Centre, Tencent Games. “To meet these requirements a mainstream GPU needs a balance of area and energy efficiency, all within the smallest silicon area, in order to reduce costs for this competitive, high-volume segment.”

Mali-G51 is ARM’s smallest Vulkan-enabled GPU for screen resolutions up to 4K. The processor delivers up to 60% more performance per mm² and is up to 60% more energy-efficient than its predecessor, the Mali-T830 GPU. Mali-G51 is also 30% smaller, reducing the cost of manufacturing high-volume chips while enabling it to address more high-performance use cases.

The ARM Mali Multimedia Suite
Both the Mali-V61 VPU and the Mali-G51GPU are designed to interact as part of the wider Mali Multimedia Suite and ARM Cortex-A processors. The Mali Multimedia Suite includes graphics, video and display processors enabling simpler integration and faster time to market for partners.

Mali-V61 and Mali-G51 are available to license now and both processors support ARM initiatives such as the version v1.2 of ARM Frame Buffer Compression (AFBC), to deliver increased bandwidth savings, and ARM TrustZone technology to enable a secure foundation for consumer products.