According to PC World the new specification will need new cables to harness its high-performance features but not need a new connector.
The new cable will be called Ultra96 and together with the HDMI 2.2 specification should double the capacity of HDMI 2.1 from 48Gbps to 96Gbps.
The HDMI Forum is discussing the new specification conceptually. Companies part of the new HDMI adopter program will receive the full specifications in the first half of 2025, as announced at CES 2025 in Las Vegas.
The Forum promises next-generation HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology, higher resolutions, and faster refresh rates, though specifics have not yet been provided. Additionally, a new Latency Indication Protocol aims to enhance audio-video syncing, particularly in TV applications where audio must be transmitted from the TV to soundbars or satellite speakers.
The Forum said: “Faster 96Gbps bandwidth improves demanding data-intensive, immersive and virtual applications such as AR/VR/MR, spatial reality, and light field displays as well as various commercial applications such as large scale digital signage, medical imaging and machine vision.”
Although the specification's release is on the horizon, it will take time for cables and devices to support the new standard. HDMI 2.1 already supports uncompressed single-display resolution of 8K at 60Hz with 8-bit colour depth at 4:2:0 chroma, and the same cables support compression at 10K120 resolution at 12-bit colour depths. For many users, HDMI 2.1's capabilities are more than sufficient. However, an upgraded cable will be necessary to use the new HDMI 2.2 specification if your PC or TV supports it.
Alternatively, users can opt for DisplayPort, which was "upgraded" from DisplayPort 2.0 to DisplayPort 2.1 in 2022, refining the specification for USB 4. In January 2024, DisplayPort introduced the 2.1a specification, with a bandwidth limit of 80Gbps.
The HDMI Forum already offers a labelling program to identify "Ultra High Speed" cables, complete with an HTML glyph that consumers can verify using a smartphone camera. The Forum has illustrated an "Ultra96 Certified Cable" where users can perform the same check.
