Microsoft Announces Support for USB 4 80Gbps Standard

The new USB4 (Specification v2.0) standard is upon us. The next generation of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface will bring much faster speeds on many new laptops coming out this year. And as if on cue, support for the latest USB4 featuring 80 Gigabit per second speeds has been added in a new Windows 11 Insider update.

The build version is 23615, and eligible Insiders can get a Windows 11 ISO already. Razer has already launched its Blade 18 gaming laptop, with up to Intel Core i9-14900HX and support for the newest Thunderbolt 5 standard. The Thunderbolt 5 USB Type-C port of Razer Blade 18 pairs and brings the newest USB 4 specification to the table.

With the new USB4 (v2.0), the transfer speeds have essentially doubled from the previous-generation USB4 (v1.0), which supported 40Gbps. Now, the most modern USB4 standard brings support for 80Gbps speeds. This is the first major upgrade to the USB4 standard.

The new USB4 (version 2.0) port supports backward compatibility with previous-gen hubs and other accessories. There is more, apart from transfer speeds being upgraded. The new standard will meet the adequate bandwidth requirements for upcoming next-gen storage devices, displays, and other connectivity solutions. Overall, a lot of useful utility expansion is being delivered to the user thanks to the modern USB4 standard.

It is an exciting time for laptops, with many new options launching at CES 2024. With this latest announcement, it shows that the adoption of the new standard has begun. We will see this update come to the stable channel of Windows 11 later on. Hopefully, USB4 eventually come to a wide range of laptops and not just at the flagship level.

What are your thoughts on USB4 v2.0? Are you excited about this upgrade to the USB4 standard? Let us know in the comments below.