The USB Promoter Group says USB 4 version 2.0 will offer speeds up to 80 Gbps, using existing 40 Gbps USB-C passive cables and new 80 Gbps USB-C active cables
Mitchell Clark / The Verge :
Context & Ripple Effects
USB’s bandwidth ladder moved from 20 Gbps under USB 3.2 to 40 Gbps under USB4. The new revision extends that progression while preserving a role for existing 40 Gbps passive USB-C cables.
The announcement also establishes the technical base later used by Intel’s next-generation Thunderbolt preview, tying USB4 v2’s specification work to a higher-bandwidth implementation path.
First-order effects
- USB-C device and cable makers gain an 80 Gbps target, with new active cables serving the highest-speed segment while existing 40 Gbps passive cables remain part of the transition.
- The USB Promoter Group positions USB4 v2 as an upgrade path that raises bandwidth without requiring every current passive USB-C cable to be replaced.
Second-order effects
- Intel can align its next-generation Thunderbolt products with USB4 v2’s 80 Gbps baseline, increasing pressure on adjacent high-speed connector ecosystems to match USB-C’s throughput.
- Cable vendors face clearer product segmentation: passive 40 Gbps cables retain compatibility value, while active 80 Gbps cables become the route to the new peak speed.
Third-order effects
- If successive USB revisions continue to pair higher bandwidth with backward cable compatibility, USB-C’s installed base becomes a stronger advantage over interfaces that require a more complete hardware swap.
- The USB roadmap is converging data-rate and power expansion in one connector family, following the earlier 240W USB-C power revision; device makers will increasingly treat cable capability as a differentiator rather than a commodity.
The trend: USB-C is evolving through incremental standards upgrades that lift bandwidth and power limits while preserving compatibility with parts of the existing cable base.