Windows 11: support for USB 4 at 80 gigabits/s is coming soon!

Windows 11 could be getting USB 4 Version 2.0 very soon, based on the fact that Microsoft is currently testing support for super-fast USB devices with a limited number of users. Transfers at 80 gigabits/s are therefore potentially for this year!

USB 4 already offers great qualities thanks to its transfer speed of up to 40 gigabits/s. But we can’t stop progress, as our grandmother would say. So Microsoft announces via its Windows Insider program (dedicated mainly to professionals and aficionados of the OS) to implement USB 4 version 2.0, which should double this capacity.

The first major update for USB 4

A few days ago, Microsoft released Windows 11 build 23615 to the developer channel of its Windows Insider program. The opportunity to introduce some new features, including a major one: support for USB 4 version 2.0, which should notably make it possible to offer speeds of 80 gigabits/s, which corresponds to double those offered by the Current USB 4, presented in 2019 then officially launched in 2021 with version 21H2 of Windows 11.

On the blog dedicated to this occasion, Microsoft announces: “ This is the very first major update of the USB 4 standard: it allows
to increase performance from 40 Gbit/s to 80 Gbit/s, and will be
compatible with the next generation of displays, storage and
high-performance connectivity. USB 4 V2.0 will also be
completely backwards compatible with devices designed for
older generations of USB and Thunderbolt, while working with all other types of USB-C features.”

Gradual commissioning

As with any technological advancement of this kind, it is not, and will not be, accessible to everyone right now. If it took a few years to establish USB 4 and allow it to become the new standard, this will also be the case for this version 2.0. Microsoft announces it in the appropriate post on its blog: “ Support for USB 80Gbps will initially launch on select devices based on the 14th Gen Intel Core HX series mobile processors, such as the new Razer Blade 18 ». Razer Blade 18 which was also presented during CES 2024.

Generally speaking, while these technical advances are generally good news, the constant changes in USB standards can potentially cause a lot of headaches for ordinary consumers, who are not necessarily aware of advances in the field and the new standards in place. It will therefore be necessary to find out about the products you wish to purchase in the future.

Source : Techradar