Newsletter
The USB Promoter Group has now officially unveiled a new standard for USB4 dubbed version 2.0 that keeps cable backward compatibility and amps up transfer speeds to twice as fast as the previous standard. That’s based on recent reports following an official announcement from the group.
Of course, USB Type-C cables supporting USB4 version 2.0 will be backward compatible. That means they’ll still work with USB4 1.0, USB 3.2, USB 2.0, Thunderbolt 3, and older connectors for USB Type-C. Similarly, older USB Type-C cables will be supported by USB4 Version 2.0 ports. Albeit, without the speed expected from the new standard.
Just how fast is USB4 version 2.0 and what else does it bring to the table aside from being twice as fast?
Aside from that compatibility, the new standard is explicitly engineered to work well with the latest versions of DisplayPort and PCIe too. That, in turn, undeniably broadens the usefulness of the new standard, compared to older versions.
But the biggest story here is obviously going to be the speed itself, which will allow much more robust use-case scenarios. Such as the ability to connect external graphics cards to a laptop.
That’s because USB4 version 2.0 enables transfer speeds of up to 80 Gbps. Making it a near-perfect protocol for a wide number of use cases. Whether that’s for external or internal storage devices, high-specced monitors and displays, hubs, docks, or other accessories. Or any number of other instances.
Now, this doesn’t represent the full range of new features or improvements to be delivered via USB4 version 2.0 either. As is often the case, more details about the new protocol will be revealed over time. The next date slated for details to be unveiled is November 1. Specifically, during the USB Developer Days 2022 conference. Although it isn’t immediately clear what USB Promoter Group has left to unveil about the technology, as of this writing.