Here's When You Can Expect The First HDMI 2.2 Devices To Be Released

In June 2025, the HDMI Forum made an announcement that display tech enthusiasts had been awaiting. It announced key details of HDMI version 2.2 — the latest version of the HDMI standard — which has been in the works for almost a decade. A successor to the HDMI 2.1 interface released in 2017, this version is a massive upgrade over its predecessor. It boasts higher data transfer speeds, supports higher resolutions, and can handle much higher refresh rates as well.

Given that it's been over a year since the HDMI 2.2 specifications were first announced, enthusiasts have wondered as to when the first HDMI 2.2 devices would hit the market. Looks like we finally have some answers. According to Rob Tobias, CEO and President of HDMI Licensing Administrator, the first HDMI 2.2 devices could hit the market by 2027. Speaking on the sidelines of Computex 2026, Tobias added that manufacturers are currently testing new chips that will be the backbone of HDMI 2.2 tech. When HDMI 2.1 was released in 2017, it took over two years for the first compatible devices to be released. Tobias expects a similar timeframe for HDMI 2.2 devices as well, which explains the possible 2027 timeframe.

While he stopped short of revealing the types of HDMI 2.2 devices expected to release first, if historical precedent means anything, it is likely that these devices could be high-end TVs from players like Samsung and LG. It is also important to note that users will need to upgrade to a new HDMI cable — called the Ultra96 cable — to enjoy the higher resolutions, refresh rates, and data transfer speeds offered by HDMI 2.2.

It's been over two decades since the first version of HDMI was released. The technology — first introduced in 2002 — went on to become one of the most widely used digital interfaces to transmit high-quality video and audio, with an estimated 14 billion devices featuring the technology. HDMI has been through several upgrades throughout its 24-year lifespan. Beginning with HDMI 1.0 in 2002, there were 8 separate iterations of the HDMI 1 series, culminating with HDMI Version 1.4b in 2011. The year 2013 witnessed the dawn of the HDMI 2.0 standard, which has since then been replaced with HDMI 2.0a in 2015, HDMI 2.0b, in 2016, and HDMI 2.1 in 2017.

Despite undergoing a prolific series of updates between 2015 and 2017, the HDMI standard has remained rather unchanged for close to a decade, remaining stuck at HDMI 2.1 from 2017 to 2025. This wasn't entirely surprising given that HDMI 2.1 offers excellent transmission speeds (48.0 Gb/s), and supports high enough refresh rates to handle even the most demanding of video files in 2026. It supports high-resolution content (8K @60 Hz), and the introduction of the eARC standard meant users did not need to hunt for separate audio cables. Simply put, HDMI 2.1 remains relevant and highly usable to this day.

Nevertheless, the HDMI Forum did have to look to the future, which resulted in the arrival of HDMI 2.2. This version of HDMI has a much higher performance ceiling, with 2x the bandwidth (96 Gb/s), and higher resolution and refresh rate support (12K@120 and 16K@60). While not everyone may need HDMI 2.2 in the near future, expect it to go mainstream over the next decade.