Windows 11: support for USB 4 at 80 gigabits/s finally in effect!

Good news for users Windows 11 : support for USB 4 Version 2.0 at 80 gigabits/s is now available. In other words, you can now enjoy transfer speeds twice as fast as USB 4!

A few weeks ago, Microsoft tested support for ultra-fast USB devices with a limited number of users, suggesting that support for USB 4 at 80 gigabits/s would soon be available in Windows 11 If, until now, only Windows Insider members could benefit from it, now the Redmond firm has just opened the floodgates for availability on a larger scale.

Windows 11: USB 4 at 80 Gbps is now supported…

Year after year, update after update, Windows 11 is enhanced with new features. If some of them remain relatively anecdotal, others, on the other hand, look more exciting. Just last week, we learned that the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system would soon allow users to install the latest updates without having to restart their computer. A real little revolution, let’s admit it, which should considerably streamline the user experience.

Among the other new features frankly awaited by the Windows community, there is obviously support for USB 4 version 2.0, the latter offering speeds of 80 gigabits/s. Since the launch of Windows 11 in October 2021, transfer speeds were previously limited to 40 Gbits/s. A situation which has just evolved (only for certain devices) following the availability of update KB5034848.

…but not yet for all devices

Windows 11 cumulative update KB5034848 finally allows the OS to support USB 4 version 2.0 with significantly faster speeds. Users with compatible devices can now benefit from transfer speeds of 80 Gbits/s. For now, let us note that “ only select devices based on Intel Core 14th Gen HX series mobile processors » can really benefit from it.

Concretely, here is what we can read on the Microsoft support page about the KB5034848 update: “ This update adds support for the USB 80 Gbps standard. This is the new generation of USB 4 which has twice the bandwidth. To use USB at 80 Gbps, you need a compatible PC and a USB 4 or Thunderbolt device “.

Remember that USB 4 Version 2.0 is obviously “ backwards compatible with devices designed for
older generations of USB and Thunderbolt, and works with all other USB-C feature types “.

While this is of course excellent news for Windows 11 users, note that we will have to wait some time before USB 4 Version 2.0 becomes the new default standard for the majority of devices.

Source : Microsoft