- A new HDMI standard is coming to CES 2025
- More bandwidth and faster refresh rates are promised
- Backwards compatible with your existing hardware
With only a few weeks to go before CES 2025, the rumors are coming thick and fast. And the thickest, fastest rumor this week is that we'll be treated to brand new TV tech in the form of HDMI 2.2, the latest version of the trusty AV standard.
HDMI – High Definition Multimedia Interface – is one of the key connectivity standards for audio-visual devices. Chances are it's what you use to connect your soundbar or AV receiver to your TV with, and it's in your gaming consoles and other AV kit too.
As ever, new versions promise improved features. So what can we expect this time around?
What HDMI 2.2 means for you
The current version of HDMI, HDMI 2.1b, was released in 2023. It was a big upgrade, with support for higher video resolutions of up to 10K, faster refresh rates of 120Hz, dynamic HDR and up to 48Gbps of data transfer bandwidth over appropriate cabling.
HDMI 2.2 is expected to improve on that in several key areas. According to an email from the HDMI Licensing Administrator as reported by German publication ComputerBase, "The new specification, featuring next-generation HDMI technology and higher bandwidth, will enable a variety of higher resolutions and refresh rates and will be supported with a new HDMI cable."
There are no details as yet about what that higher bandwidth will be, or what the boosted resolutions and refresh rates will be. And it's worth noting that the statement doesn't specifically say HDMI 2.2, so name-wise this could turn out to be HDMI 2.1c. But HDMI 2.2 sounds more exciting and will sell more things, including a brand new kind of expensive cable, so the smart money's on that.
What does it mean for you? In the short term, nothing: HDMI 2.1 was launched in 2017 but took several years to become commonplace; the same is likely with HDMI 2.2. And the arrival of a newer version won't change your existing home entertainment kit or make it obsolete, as the standard is backwards compatible. But over time we'll see the newer standard make its way into graphics cards and high-end TVs, before filtering down into more affordable devices.
