In an exciting reveal at CES 2025, HDMI Forum, Inc. introduced the world to HDMI 2.2, a game-changing upgrade with dramatically increased bandwidth. This new specification doubles the previous capacity to a whopping 96 Gbps from HDMI 2.1’s 48 Gbps. For gamers, this means superior performance, as both cables and gaming hardware will support even faster frame rates at high resolutions. While HDMI 2.1 capped at 4K and under 200 frames per second, the forthcoming Ultra96 cables, expected to debut in mid to late 2025, promise 4K gaming experiences at up to 480 frames per second.
And that’s just the start. HDMI 2.2 will handle resolutions even higher, setting the stage for future shifts to 5K or 8K, with 240 frames per second supported in both scenarios. Astonishingly, it even caters to 12K displays at 120 frames per second, demonstrating its forward-thinking design that’s set to be relevant for years to come, particularly in industries that demand such high resolutions.
However, there’s a catch. HDMI 2.2 has some constraints when it comes to providing uncompressed video. Those who demand pristine quality can expect support for 4K at 240 frames per second, or 8K at 60 per second with full chroma formats in vibrant 10 and 12-bit color depths. To achieve the highest resolutions and frame rates, some level of compression will kick in, but it’s a noteworthy jump from what’s currently the norm.
Now, while HDMI 2.2 is a thrilling prospect, it ultimately falls on manufacturers to incorporate this new spec into their devices, be it displays or gaming consoles. And here’s where patience is required. Remember HDMI 2.1? It debuted back in 2017 but took a couple of years to grace high-end gaming setups and enter the mainstream market through consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2020. However, given the surging popularity of gaming, especially on PCs, we might not have to wait as long this time.
So, should you hit pause on purchasing your next gaming TV or monitor for HDMI 2.2 support? My advice? Probably not. These advancements may take a few years to become standard, and it’s doubtful that major players like Sony or Microsoft will rush to adopt them, especially since many games are yet to fully utilize the potential of 4K at 120 frames per second offered by HDMI 2.1. Enthusiast PC gamers might get first dibs thanks to Nvidia and AMD’s tendency to include cutting-edge display tech in their graphic cards, although HDMI 2.2 could miss the initial wave of Nvidia’s much-anticipated RTX 50-series announced around CES 2025.
