Even with an older cable, the next USB standard will double existing speeds.

With the new USB 4 Version 2.0 standard, 40 Gbps USB-C cables will be able to reach speeds of up to 80 Gbps.

 

A new, super-fast version of USB 4 is on the way, and you won’t even need to buy a new cable to take advantage of it. The USB Promoter Group announced that the next-generation USB Version 2.0 standard, which will double the bandwidth of existing USB 4 connectors from 40 Gbps to up to 80 Gbps, is “pending release.”

 

Surprisingly, the new standard also works with previous USB 4 cables. This means that existing USB-C cables capable of 40 Gbps will be upgraded when the new standard is released. “Key characteristics of the updated USB4 solution include: Up to 80 Gbps operation, based on a new physical layer architecture, using existing 40 Gbps USB Type-C passive cables and newly-defined 80 Gbps USB Type-C active cables,” according to the press release.

 

The USB Promoter Group didn’t go into specifics, but a spokesperson for the organisation told The Verge that it was “a requirement when the new specification was developed, and the specifics as to how 80Gbps signalling is accomplished will be disclosed once the final specification is released.”

 

It is unclear when the new standard will be available to consumers. According to the USB Promoter Group’s press release, the “update is specifically targeted to developers at this time,” so it may be some time before the rest of us can get computers with the new super-fast connector.