diff --git a/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs b/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
index 81d27ae..0bae242 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
@@ -7244,6 +7244,27 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
             // For everything else (Walk → Run, Run → Ready, etc.) we
             // keep the link so transitions stay smooth.
             bool skipLink = animCommand == AcDream.Core.Physics.MotionCommand.Falling;
+
+            // #45 (2026-05-06): scale sidestep speedMod to match ACE's
+            // wire formula. PlayerMovementController hands us a raw
+            // localAnimSpeed (1.0 slow / runRate fast), but ACE's
+            // BroadcastMovement converts SidestepSpeed via
+            //   `speed × 3.12 / 1.25 × 0.5`
+            // (Network/Motion/MovementData.cs:124-131). Without the
+            // matching multiplier here, the local sidestep cycle plays
+            // at speedMod = 1.0 while the observer-side cycle plays at
+            // ~1.248 — local strafe visibly slower than retail (user
+            // report at #45 close-out of #39).
+            // Factor = WalkAnimSpeed / SidestepAnimSpeed × 0.5
+            //        = 3.12 / 1.25 × 0.5 = 1.248.
+            uint cmdLow = animCommand & 0xFFu;
+            if (cmdLow == 0x0Fu /* SideStepRight */ || cmdLow == 0x10u /* SideStepLeft */)
+            {
+                animSpeed *= AcDream.Core.Physics.MotionInterpreter.WalkAnimSpeed
+                           / AcDream.Core.Physics.MotionInterpreter.SidestepAnimSpeed
+                           * 0.5f;
+            }
+
             ae.Sequencer.SetCycle(fullStyle, animCommand, animSpeed * animScale,
                 skipTransitionLink: skipLink);
         }