Media Guide

HDMI 2.2 and Ultra96 cables: do you need them for your home cinema?

HDMI 2.2 doubles the maximum bandwidth to 96Gbps and comes with a new cable. Before you pay extra for one, here is what it does, how to read the labels, and why most living rooms can wait.

By OwnYourStack Admin · Published

A TV showing a vivid image, from the HDMI Licensing Administrator
A television showing a colourful image © HDMI Licensing Administrator

The HDMI Forum released version 2.2 of the HDMI specification in June 2025, and in 2026 the first Ultra96 cables are reaching shops. The HDMI organisation’s own material describes a big jump in bandwidth. But a faster cable is only useful if your TV, receiver, console or streamer can use it, and for most homes that is not yet the case.

What HDMI 2.2 adds

  • Up to 96Gbps over the Fixed Rate Link, twice the 48Gbps of HDMI 2.1.
  • Higher resolutions and refresh rates: the HDMI organisation lists 12K at 120Hz, 16K at 60Hz, uncompressed 8K at 60Hz, and 4K at 240Hz with full 4:4:4 colour at 10 or 12 bits.
  • Latency Indication Protocol (LIP): devices share latency information to improve audio and video sync in multi-device systems such as a TV, soundbar and receiver. See our soundbar versus AV receiver guide for why that matters.
  • Dynamic HDR support, with existing features such as VRR, ALLM, QFT, eARC and QMS carried forward.

The three cable tiers

CableMaximum bandwidthTypical use
Premium High Speed18Gbps4K HDTV
Ultra High Speed (2020)48GbpsHDMI 2.1 devices: 4K at 120Hz, 8K
Ultra9696GbpsAll HDMI 2.2 features

All three should carry an HDMI certification label on the packaging showing they have been tested.

Read the label carefully

The “Ultra96” name on a product marks a maximum bandwidth of 64, 80 or 96Gbps. That is not the same as 96Gbps on every device. TFTCentral, which analysed the specification in 2025, warned that the speed tiers and most extra features are optional, so a product labelled HDMI 2.2 might add little or nothing over HDMI 2.1. It asked manufacturers to state the bandwidth, the supported features and whether compression is needed, and it is worth checking those on any product page. The specification uses VESA’s DSC compression, which TFTCentral describes as visually lossless.

Do you need it now?

TFTCentral expected compatible TVs to arrive slowly, perhaps in late 2026 or 2027, followed by consoles, and graphics cards and monitors later still. In practice:

  • If your kit is HDMI 2.1, your existing Ultra High Speed cables are fine. They support everything up to 48Gbps.
  • If you are buying a TV this Black Friday, do not let “HDMI 2.2” on the box decide it. Panel quality matters far more; our TV technology guide covers that.
  • If you are running a cable inside a wall, a future-proof cable is a reasonable cost, but only buy one that carries the official certification label, and keep a conduit so you can swap it later.
  • If you only stream, your box needs nothing like this. See our streaming box comparison.

Sources: HDMI Licensing Administrator blog posts, August 2026; TFTCentral, “HDMI 2.2 explained”, 16 July 2025.

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