Soon we shall see USB 4 version 2.0, which will be capable of 80 Gbps. Type C’s speed will quadruple that of USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4.
The USB Promoter Group announced the imminent release of USB4 Version 2.0. It will offer up to 80 Gbps of data performance via the latest USB Type-C connector and cable.
“Following USB tradition, this new USB4 specification doubles data performance,” said Brad Saunders, Chairman, USB Promoter Group.
“High-performance screens, storage, and USB hubs and docks will benefit the most,” he said.
All of these upgrades are expected before November’s USB DevDays developer events.
Protocol changes enable faster USB 3.2, DisplayPort, and PCI Express (PCIe) data tunnelling to leverage the greater bandwidth.
If you already have a USB4-compliant cable, you can expect up to 80Gbps on USB4 v2.0 ports. Active USB cables reduce bandwidth loss as cable length rises.
The USB-C ecosystem is becoming a mess, so you’ll need to be careful while shopping. USB-C cables perform numerous things. Some just provide power, while others support USB 2.0 or Thunderbolt. You can’t rely on manufacturers to make it easy for you.
Features in a Nutshell
USB4 2.0 features
- Up to 80 Gbps data transfer using 40 Gbps USB Type-C passive cables and newly-defined 80 Gbps USB Type-C active cables.
- Protocol updates to efficiently leverage available bandwidth.
- USB 3.2 data tunnelling now exceeds 20 Gbps thanks to architecture changes.
- New DisplayPort and PCIe specs.
USB Developer Days 2022 will reveal more about USB4 Version 2.0. Seattle hosts the event beginning November 1.
Apple is a USB Promoter Group member. Later, the consortium will establish 80 Gbps branding and marketing standards. Manufacturers have mostly ignored the group’s 2021 labelling rules.