ARM’s new processors are designed to support immersive and rich visual content on mobile devices. The Mali-V61 video processing unit (VPU) and Mali-G51 graphics processing unit (GPU) are the two new products released to “address Generation Z” demands.
ARM’s latest products support mobile VR and 4K streaming
The Mali-V61 is best used for 4K live streaming for real-time video applications such as Facebook Live and Periscope. ARM said it offers 50 percent bit-rate saving over previous generation codecs to enable efficient transmission of high definition content.
“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.
The Mali-V61 also scales from 1080p60 on a single core to up to 4K120 on multiple cores and supports VP9 encode which is soon expected to be a requirement in Android and Google apps.
As for Mali-G51, it is based on ARM’s new Bifrost architecture and brings premium graphics to mainstream mobile devices. It is also 30 percent smaller, reducing the cost of manufacturing high-volume chips without compromising on the performance. The processor is up to 60 percent more energy-efficient than its predecessor, the Mali-T830 GPU
“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.”