Webcam Frame Interpolation and Upscaling
Webcam AI enhancement lowers the network bandwidth required for webcam redirection while preserving the video quality visible to applications in the session.
When the feature is active, the VDA asks Citrix Workspace app to send a lower capture resolution and a reduced frame rate (15 fps) instead of the resolution and frame rate the application requested. On the VDA, two on-device Apple Intelligence graphics algorithms compensate for the reduced input before the frames reach the virtual camera:
- Super resolution: Each received frame is upscaled back to the intended output resolution.
- Frame interpolation: One intermediate frame is generated between each pair of received frames, so motion looks smoother than the 15 fps input.
The application running in the session sees the redirected webcam at the enhanced resolution and frame rate, and is not aware that the client sent a smaller, slower camera stream.
Both effects run locally on the VDA using the Apple Neural Engine. No video leaves the VDA for processing, and no additional client-side configuration is required.
Webcam AI enhancement is enabled by default on supported hardware. On any machine that does not meet the requirements below, the VDA silently uses the standard webcam redirection pipeline; webcam redirection continues to work exactly as before.
Performance gains
Webcam AI enhancement reduces the webcam traffic bandwidth consumption sent from the client to the VDA by about 80% in the best-case scenario, while the application in the session continues to receive video of comparable size and smoothness, and Apple Silicon (CPU/GPU/ANE) utilization remains at a similar level. The actual saving varies with the webcam, the resolution of the application, and network conditions.
System requirements
- macOS 26 or later.
- Apple Silicon-based Mac device. VMs are not supported.
- Webcam redirection enabled.
- A webcam that advertises at least one resolution lower than the resolution the application requests, and that can be upscaled back by a factor of 2 or more. For example, a webcam that offers both 1280x720 and 640x360 qualifies.
Enable or disable webcam AI enhancement
Webcam AI enhancement is enabled by default. To turn it off, or to turn it back on, set the AIEnhance value on the VDA with the ctxreg command.
To disable the feature
sudo /opt/Citrix/VDA/bin/ctxreg create -k "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\KeywordFlags\webcam" -t "REG_DWORD" -v "AIEnhance" -d "0x00000000" --force
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To enable the feature
sudo /opt/Citrix/VDA/bin/ctxreg create -k "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\KeywordFlags\webcam" -t "REG_DWORD" -v "AIEnhance" -d "0x00000001" --force
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To check the current setting
/opt/Citrix/VDA/bin/ctxreg read -k "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\KeywordFlags\webcam" -v "AIEnhance"
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The value is read each time the webcam is opened. Close and reopen the webcam in the application for a change to take effect. Reconnecting the session is not required.
Note:
The output resolution is not always the resolution the application requested. The output size is the selected lower resolution multiplied by the upscale factor in both dimensions. When the lower resolution has the same aspect ratio as the requested resolution, the output matches the requested resolution exactly. When the webcam offers no lower resolution with the same aspect ratio, the output height differs. For example, a request for 1280x720 that is downgraded to 640x480 and upscaled 2x produces 1280x960.