There is a secret nobody is telling you about HDMI 2.2, however I’ll

As you in all probability already know in case you learn Pocket-lint, it’s important to match gadgets like soundbars and game consoles with the appropriate HDMI ports in your TV. Within the case of audio system, the improper port might restrict your format choices, assuming audio works in any respect. With consoles, or PCs for that matter, you might probably run into visible glitches, or end up unable to make use of Dolby Imaginative and prescient or HDR10+. Nobody needs to sabotage their costly purchases on day one.

You’d assume, then, that chasing the most recent model of HDMI would solely be logical while you’re looking for TVs, cables, and peripherals. However that is a kind of uncommon occasions when futureproofing just isn’t solely tough, however largely pointless, and should not have a degree for a couple of years but. In the event you’re attempting to find a brand new TV, you won’t discover something absolutely exploiting HDMI 2.1.

What’s HDMI 2.2, and why is it a giant deal?

Constructing a brand new framework

The defining attribute of any HDMI port or cable is its bandwidth. It wasn’t till HDMI 1.4, for instance, that there was sufficient to deal with 4K decision, and even then the format was restricted to a 30Hz refresh fee. HDMI 2.1 is vital not only for supporting 8K, however for permitting 4K refresh charges as much as 144Hz, and enabling the lossless variations of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X by the use of eARC. You possibly can nonetheless join the likes of a Sonos Arc Extremely or PlayStation 5 Professional to your TV utilizing HDMI 2.0, however you will not get almost as a lot out of it.

HDMI 2.2 represents an enormous bounce ahead. Whereas 2.1 tops out at 48Gbps (gigabits per second), 2.2 begins at 64Gbps, rising to 80 or 96Gbps. You would possibly see “Ultra96” branding on some cables, no matter whether or not they truly assist 96Gbps. The simplest technique to store is by looking for “HDMI 2.2” or “16K,” for the document.

That final label is a tipoff. The two.2 pipeline is vast sufficient that utilizing compression, it may possibly deal with a colossal 16K at 60Hz, and 4K at 480Hz. Increased refresh charges permit for smoother video, in addition to greater framerates for PC and console apps with out producing visible artifacts.

There’s extra. One other addition to the usual is the Latency Indication Protocol, or LIP, which improves lip sync on residence theater methods with “multi-hop” configurations, i.e. ones that embody receivers or soundbars. 2.2 cables additionally wrap in each expertise baked into each iteration of two.1, resembling eARC, variable refresh charges, and Supply-Based mostly Tone Mapping (SBTM), the final permitting enter gadgets to carry out a few of their very own HDR mapping as an alternative of foisting all the things in your TV.

The HDMI 2.2 spec turned official in June 2025. So why would anybody say that it is going to be irrelevant in 2026, and doubtless even 2027?

Too quick, too quickly

Overshooting the horizon

Credit score: LG

After I’m driving, a sight that all the time sticks in my mind for a second is somebody with a high-performance SUV, resembling a Porsche, or some BMWs and Land Rovers. I would like to drive one too, if I received it in a contest — however in any other case, they really feel like an enormous waste of cash to me. A Porsche Cayenne won’t ever, ever be as quick as a 911 or 718 Cayman of the identical mannequin yr, and it is extra probably for use for commuting and grocery runs than joyrides.

HDMI 2.2 represents an analogous sort of overkill. There are not any 10K TVs in shops, by no means thoughts ones with 12 or 16K decision. Extra importantly, there is not the faintest trace of 1 transport within the subsequent a number of years. Main manufacturers like LG, TCL, and Sony have truly retreated from the 8K market. There is no shopper demand, owing to the truth that the one quasi-reliable supply of 8K content is YouTube. That, in flip, is as a result of 8K consumes huge quantities of web bandwidth, and even plenty of Hollywood productions aren’t shot at that decision.

The spec’s refresh charges have doubtful worth as properly. Whereas 120Hz could be helpful for each consoles and PCs, some video games battle to hit 60 frames per second, and there are diminishing smoothness returns for any content material previous the 120Hz mark. I defy anybody to take a look at a video or a recreation on a 240Hz monitor and argue that it is dramatically higher than 144Hz.

As I write this in February 2026, I am not seeing any TVs with HDMI 2.2 available on the market. Let that sink in — you might purchase Samsung’s 114-inch MicroLED TV, probably priced as a lot as a small home, and nonetheless find yourself with HDMI 2.1. However why would you clamor for extra when its colour, distinction, and brightness are going to stay mind-blowing at 4K120? There is no purpose in any respect to go over 4K on a extra conventionally-sized TV, for the reason that human eye usually fails to identify the distinction with upscaled 1080p.

So what is the holdup with HDMI 2.2?

Price and a pure delay

You would possibly assume that regardless of the absence of sensible worth, some corporations can be keen so as to add HDMI 2.2 to their gadgets for bragging rights. That tactic is extraordinarily frequent throughout a number of product classes. Apple repeatedly promotes the iPhone 17 Pro for its filmmaking capabilities, as an illustration, realizing full properly that almost all house owners will not shoot 4K ProRes footage of their child’s party. It is in all probability why these Cayenne drivers exist. 0-60 occasions may be a ridiculous purpose to get an SUV, nevertheless it feels good realizing you may smoke your neighbor’s Ford Explorer.

One potential clarification for the delay is value. Newer and sooner elements value more cash — and whereas that may be only a few further {dollars} or cents on this case, that provides up rapidly while you’re transport hundreds of thousands of TVs yearly. It is why some cheaper models nonetheless embody HDMI 2.0 ports, pretending that 2.1 hasn’t been on the radar since 2017.

My very own vote, nevertheless, is for an inherent delay in bringing new requirements to market. It took about two years for HDMI 2.1 to truly arrive in shopper merchandise. That was uncommon, however on a traditional schedule, it nonetheless takes months to design, take a look at, and manufacture new TV fashions. So realistically, the earliest we would see 2.2 on TVs is nearer to fall 2026, conveniently in time to take advantage of the vacation procuring season, and be prepared for 2027 Tremendous Bowl promotions.

As I’ve hinted repeatedly although, you in all probability will not get something significant out of two.2 for years past that. You could possibly plausibly purchase a TV in the present day and really feel little to no stress to improve in 2036, no less than not due to HDMI compatibility. I am prepared to face corrected — new applied sciences do typically come out of leftfield. Perhaps whole-wall 10K shows will probably be all the craze in 2036.