USB 4.0 v2 Standard Brings Up To 120Gbps Data Transfer Speeds

Earlier this month, the USB Promoter Group had revealed that a revised USB4 specification is in the works. The group claimed that with the updated specs, data transfer speeds would double, increasing from 40 Gbps to 80 Gbps. Now, there’s a rumour doing the rounds of the web, suggesting that USB4 version 2 could support speeds as high as 120 Gbps.

According to a report by Angstromics, USB4 version 2 could support speeds of up to 120 Gbps for one-way data. This will let you link a mobile device or a PC to an 8K display via a USB4 v2 cable, thanks to its Ultra High Bit Rate (UHBR20) protocol. While the USB Promoter Group claimed speeds of up to 80 Gbps, it is now reported that the speed could go as high as 120 Gbps. However, this would happen at the cost of downstream data speeds.

The USB Type-C connector features two pairs of high-speed data links, wherein two are used for upstream data and two for downstream data. With USB4 v2, the connector will support up to 40 Gbps in each lane. This will allow it to carry a total of 80 Gbps on each side.

However, it can also support asymmetric data transfers. This means that instead of using two links each for transmitting and receiving, the USB-C connector can utilise three transmit links and one receive link. Hence, a total of 120 Gbps of upstream data can be sent. Do note that this asymmetric mode will sacrifice downstream data speeds, bringing it down to 40 Gbps.

While there’s no official confirmation from the USB Promotor Group about this capability, the 120 Gbps mode does not appear improbable since asymmetric configurations for USB specs have been around for some time. In fact, the asymmetric mode for USB4 is said to be easier to implement. All these rumours can be finally laid to rest in November this year, when the USB Promoter Group will reveal the full specifications at the USB DevDays developer conference.