HDMI 2.2 Is Here, and I Can’t Wait to Upgrade My Devices

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The next iteration of HDMI, version 2.2, is official following the revelation of the new standard by the HDMI Forum at CES 2025. HDMI 2.2 promises several exciting features for home entertainment, and I can’t wait to upgrade.

What Is HDMI 2.2?

HDMI 2.2 is the latest version of the High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) standard. If you aren’t familiar with HDMI already, it’s a digital interface for transmitting audio and video signals between devices. HDMI 2.2 is a follow-up to HDMI 2.1, which was announced in January 2017. (Here’s a comparison between HDMI 2.1, 2.0, and 1.4 for context).

Bandwidth Comparison between HDMI versions
HDMI

As such, it unlocks new capabilities, including support for 12K (12,288 x 6,480) and 16K (15360 × 8640) resolutions and higher refresh rates for resolutions currently supported by HDMI 2.1. This makes the new standard a key player in the next iteration of high-resolution displays, gaming, and multimedia setups.

The increase in bandwidth will also help power data-intensive applications like augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. The standard uses a special Ultra96 cable that fully takes advantage of the additional features, a new option to the different HDMI cable types you should know about.

Why You Should Upgrade to HDMI 2.2

By doubling the bandwidth from 48Gbps to 96Gbps, HDMI 2.2 unlocks higher screen resolution and refresh rates. With the extra bandwidth, the standard can now support display resolutions of 12K and 16K. For context, HDMI 2.1 can only support up to 10K resolution.

Of course, these higher resolutions are targeted at commercial use cases (like digital signage). The exciting upgrade for regular consumers like you and me is that the new specification improves the maximum refresh rate across different resolutions. It supports 4K at 480Hz, 8K at 240Hz, and 10K at 120Hz. HDMI 2.1 is important for gaming, so for gamers, the successor means an even better experience on both PCs and consoles.

The ASUS ROG Swift PG34WCDM gaming desk setup.
ASUS

Another worthwhile upgrade for switching to HDMI 2.2 is a new Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), which, according to the HDMI Forum, will improve audio and video synchronization, especially while using an audio receiver or soundbar. So, if you still face synchronization issues despite the arrival of eArc with HDMI 2.1, the next iteration will hopefully squash them for good.

However, one downside to HDMI 2.2 is the requirement for new cables. HDMI 2.2 will use the same connectors but needs a new Ultra96 HDMI cable to support the higher 96Gbps bandwidth. That means when you come to upgrade, it won’t just be devices; the cables will need switching up, too.

how to identify hdmi 2.2 ultra96 cable diagram
HDMI Forum

HDMI 2.2 is official, but like its predecessor, it will take some time before it becomes ubiquitous across devices. All the different players will need to catch up for this to happen. Despite that, it’s worth the wait, and I can’t wait to upgrade when the manufacturers start adding HDMI 2.2 support for different hardware devices.

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