HDMI 2.2 and DisplayPort 2.1b output at CES 2025. HDMI takes the lead for the first time!

There you go, we already knew it along the way, the new HDMI version was introduced in CES 2025 and it is simply called HDMI 2.2 ! Unfortunately, the presentation turned out to be very sketchy, since the new version is actually still at the concept stage and the exact specifications are being defined. More details are expected to be shared in the first half of 2025 by the HDMI Forum. It is during this period that they will in principle be shared with member manufacturers. However, you probably shouldn’t be too eager to see HDMI 2.2 in stores. For the record, we had to wait almost three years after the publication of HDMI 2.1 before compatible graphics cards arrived. With HDMI 2.2, there is a chance that we will once again have to be patient, especially since the new version seems rather promising on paper. See instead:

• Doubling the bandwidth compared to HDMI 2.1, with 96 Gb/s
• New cable HDMI ULTRA96
• Introduction of Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) for better audio and visual synchronization
• Backwards compatible

Thus, HDMI would overtake DisplayPort for the first time in its history, subject, of course, to the introduction of a hypothetical version 2.2 or 3.0 of the competing standard in the meantime. Obviously, a new cable will be necessary to take advantage of this new bandwidth between two equally compatible devices. With HDMI 2.2, the HDMI Forumis preparing for the future and positioning itself for tomorrow’s needs, with advances that will primarily benefit demanding and very demanding uses. Specifically mentioned are AR, VR, spatial reality, light field displays, but also large-scale digital signage, medical imaging and machine vision. In short, HDMI 2.2 will be less intended for our domestic uses, initially, at least.

At the same time, VESA announced the DisplayPort 2.1b . As the nomenclature suggests, this will a priori be a relatively minor development. With this, VESA seeks to address one of the weaknesses of the current DisplayPort 2.1, namely the length constraint for the current DP80 cables (with 4 UHBR20 lines), required to benefit from the full bandwidth of 80 Gb/s. DP 2.1b thus introduces a new cable DP80LLor DisplayPort 80 Low Loss . This will allow 4 UHBR20 lines – for the same total of 80 Gb/s – over a maximum distance of 3 meters thanks to its active rather than passive nature. To date, a DP80 certified passive cable can extend at best up to 1 m, which is not huge and is in fact quite restrictive. Obviously, the DP80LL will be one of the highlights of DisplayPort version 2.1 b. It has not been specified whether other notable developments can be expected. We will have this answer in spring 2025, during which the full specifications will be published.

Incidentally, VESA highlighted the collaboration with NVIDAI NVIDIA on this occasion. It turns out that the RTX 50s are all, without exception, DisplayPort 2.1b UHBR20 compatible. It’s written in small letters on the official NVIDIA website under the specifications of the new GeForce: “2 – DisplayPort 2.1b with UHBR20: up to 4K 480Hz or 8K 165Hz with DSC“. So much the better, but the opposite would have been very surprising anyway.