CES 2025: HDMI 2.2 officially revealed

Just like pretty much everyone expected it would since the end of December, the HDMI Forum has finally revealed the specifications of HDMI 2.2, the next version of the most widely-used type of wired connection for video and audio devices. The press release (PDF) shared during CES 2025 is light on technical details – so journalists interested into those will probably have to wait for the HDMI Licensing Administrator to publish a new page for that, like it did for HDMI 2.1 – but, in the meantime, here’s the gist: HDMI 2.2 looks great, it seems to be offering more of… well, everything, just not new functionality. Which is disappointing to say the least.

It’s true. HDMI 2.2 doubles the audiovisual data bandwidth of HDMI 2.1 – from 48 Gbps to 96 Gbps, which is impressive and actually more than what DisplayPort 2.1, the closest equivalent in the world of PCs, offers – but, as of right now, there’s just one new feature consumers can look forward to: LIP (Latency Indication Protocol). This will strive “to improve audio and video synchronization, especially for multiple-hop system configurations such as those with an audio video receiver or soundbar”. While it’s a welcome addition, it’s hardly exciting when compared to VRR, eARC, QMS, SBTM and ALLM, which were introduced by HDMI 2.1 and proved to be of great help to millions of consumers over the last 5-6 years.

In any case, HDMI 2.2 is more capable than HDMI 2.1 when it comes to supporting higher resolutions at higher frame rates, without relying on Digital Signal Compression (DSC) this time around. Common resolutions like 4K or 5K are offered at full chroma (no color compression) at up to 480 Hz and 240 Hz respectively, while higher resolutions like 8K, 10K or 12K can reach up to 120 Hz at full display fidelity too. There’s even support for 16K at 60 Hz although, the way things are going with 8K, by the time consumers show any interest in that we’ll all be leaving our bodies behind to be used as batteries by machines and jacking into The Matrix. Or something.

Such an increase in bandwidth does require a new cable actually capable of carrying the larger amount of audiovisual data transmitted, though, so the HDMI Forum also announced the advent of Ultra96 HDMI cables. These will be going through a new certification program that will require on-cable identification printing so consumers can verify it’s a genuine one themselves. As people following the evolution of A/V devices already know, though, in cases such as this the cable alone is not enough to make the most of the upgraded specs: the port itself and the chip controlling it will also have to change – in order to accommodate those higher resolutions and refresh rates – but the development of either is still at the early stages, if at all.

So, as is usually the case with new versions of popular tech standards – we’re looking at you, Bluetooth 6 – it will take time for the first HDMI 2.2 devices to become available for purchase. How much time? It’s hard to say. The HDMI Forum will be releasing the technical specifications to all manufacturers at some point during the first half of the year, so it’s safe to assume that there will be extremely few, if any, HDMI 2.2-compatible devices out in 2025 or early 2026. Yours truly would be surprised, in fact, to see any type of device – let alone mainstream ones such as TVs, receivers or media players – come to market before the end of next summer.

This might not be a bad thing, though: while manufacturers work on HDMI 2.2 cables, ports and controllers, the HDMI Forum may have enough time to come up with a few more features actually making future devices worth upgrading to. Ideas, anyone?