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Kyle Chua
Sep 5, 20222 min read

Your Existing USB 4 Cables Can Be Twice As Fast Once New Standard Arrives

USB speeds are set to make another massive jump, with the USB Promoter Group announcing the pending launch of USB 4 Version 2.0.

Credit: Shutterstock via Tom's Hardware

The new standard is capable of speeds of up to 80Gbps, double that of the original USB 4's 40Gbps. What's more, your existing USB 4 cables that are already capable of 40Gbps speeds can benefit from the bandwidth upgrade once it's available. This is particularly impressive as you can essentially enjoy faster speeds without having to buy new cables and connectors.


The USB Promoter Group, which is composed of companies like Intel, Apple, Microsoft and HP, among others, have yet to share technical details on how the upgrade works, though it did promise to elaborate on how the 80Gbps signalling is accomplished when the new standard is released. A spokesperson also told The Verge that the speed benefit was a requirement when the new standard was developed.


Version 2.0 also brings new updates to display functionality, boosting the bandwidth of 3.2 data tunnelling to exceed 20Gbps. It'll also include protocol updates to align with the latest versions of the DisplayPort and PCIe specifications. The original USB 4, in comparison, only lets you use DisplayPort 1.4a when tunnelling. Similar to previous USB standards, this new one is also backwards-compatible with the first USB 4 standard, USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3.

Credit: Depositphotos

"Once again following USB tradition, this updated USB 4 specification doubles data performance to deliver higher levels of functionality to the USB Type-C ecosystem," said Brad Saunders, Chairman of the USB Promoter Group. "Solutions seeing the most benefit from this speed enhancement include higher-performance displays, storage and USB-based hubs and docks."


Version 2.0 is “specifically targeted to developers at this time,” according to the press release, which perhaps suggests that it’s not quite ready yet for consumers. More details about the standard are expected to be shared at the USB Developer Days 2022 conference on 1 November.

 

  • The USB Promoter Group has announced the pending launch of USB 4 Version 2.0, the next-generation USB standard.

  • The new standard is capable of speeds of up to 80Gbps, double that of the original USB 4's 40Gbps.

  • What's more, your existing USB 4 cables that are already capable of 40Gbps speeds can benefit from the bandwidth upgrade once it's available.

  • Version 2.0 is “specifically targeted to developers at this time,” which perhaps suggests that it’s not quite ready yet for consumers.

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