A New Version of HDMI Could Be Coming Soon

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Summary

  • The next-generation HDMI 2.2 display standard is rumored to debut at CES 2025.
  • HDMI 2.2 will feature “increased bandwidths” that allow higher resolutions and refresh rates over the current HDMI 2.1 standard, but exact specs are under wraps.
  • HDMI 2.1 allows for a maximum of 4K 120Hz without compression, so HDMI 2.2 could target 4K 360Hz and even 8K 144Hz.

As a seasoned gamer who’s been around the block more times than I care to admit, I must say that the rumors of HDMI 2.2 making its grand debut at CES 2025 have me more excited than a kid on Christmas morning. The promise of higher resolutions and refresh rates is like a siren’s call for us tech-hungry folk.

A recent prediction indicates that we might formally unveil HDMI 2.2 at CES 2025. This upcoming version of the popular display technology could offer improved resolutions and refresh rates compared to the existing HDMI 2.1, along with a freshly designed cable.

2017 saw the introduction of HDMI 2.1, a display interface that has since become widely used in premium monitors, TVs, and latest-generation consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Particularly advantageous for gamers, it supports resolutions and refresh rates up to 4K 120Hz without compression at a max bandwidth of 48Gbps. With Display Stream Compression, this can even reach an impressive 10K 100Hz. Although current graphics cards and displays haven’t yet reached these specifications, it appears that the HDMI standard is preparing to advance further.

As per a press release from the HDMI Forum, reportedly obtained by the Italian website Digital Day, it’s anticipated that HDMI 2.2 will make its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2025. While the specific details for HDMI 2.2 might be revealed at this tech event, the press release hints that the upcoming HDMI interface will offer “higher bandwidth” compared to HDMI 2.1 and accommodate a broader spectrum of higher resolutions and refresh rates. A fresh HDMI cable is also planned to launch alongside HDMI 2.2 to facilitate these enhancements.

Next-Gen HDMI 2.2 Specification Rumored to Debut at CES 2025

Outside a tiny sliver of ultra-dedicated enthusiasts, most gamers have yet to max out the HDMI 2.1 standard, so it should be interesting to see how much further HDMI 2.2 pushes the technological envelope. There’s also the question of backwards compatibility between HDMI 2.2 ports and older HDMI versions. This has yet to be confirmed, but if HDMI 2.2 uses the same signaling system as its predecessor just at a higher bandwidth, backwards compatibility might be on the cards. With 4K 120Hz already supported by HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0, HDMI 2.2 may target display milestones like 4K 360Hz or even 8K 144Hz.

Furthermore, there’s speculation that the debut of HDMI 2.2 might coincide beautifully with the hardware introductions expected at CES 2025. There are rumors swirling about AMD launching RDNA 4 graphics cards at CES 2025, and Nvidia is also hinted to unveil its 50-series graphics cards at the same event. Given their intense competition in the GPU market, it will be intriguing to find out if either of these companies adopts the HDMI 2.2 standard as a sign of readiness for upcoming display technologies.

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2024-12-17 17:23