What is HDMI 2.2 and why does it matter? New standard explained

HDMI 2.2, eh? So what's that all about then? Well, it's the new standard for the High-Definition Multimedia Interface technology. The new and all-important '2.2' specification was revealed in January 2025.

HDMI is a proprietary technology, first developed just over 22 years ago, in 2002, which you'll recognise as those cables which you trail from your audio-visual kit, such as gaming consoles and set-top boxes, to an HDMI port in your TV or monitor.

It's a lot more complex than just cables and ports, though. Think of HDMI like a handshake, part of the puzzle which confirms that one device can send rights-managed audio and/or visual content to another, in a given format and quality.

It's the last part of that which has incrementally improved through HDMI's ongoing specification, from version 1.0 in 2002 through to version 2.2 in 2025. At present, however, it's HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 that are most prevalent in devices – all of which support 4K resolution – so what's does version 2.2 bring and why does it matter?

HDMI 2.0 vs 2.1 vs 2.2

On the back of your TV the likelihood is that you'll have four HDMI ports. But even though they look the same they're not all made equal. Even the majority of the best TVs will have two HDMI 2.1 type ports and two HDMI 2.0 type ports – which have different ceilings in what they can deliver.

First and foremost: all HDMI 2.0 and above ports support 4K content. But you'll only get 4K resolution at 120Hz, i.e. up to 120 frames per second, from the HDMI 2.1 format (if a connected device supports that, of course). So if you're plugging a gaming PC into the best new OLED TV or a PS5 Pro into a fancy monitor, you're going to want to use that specified port – there are usually labels next to them to assist.

There's a possible thorn in the side, though: HDMI eARC, which you can read about here, is the enhanced Audio Return Channel format that came as part of the HDMI 2.1 specification. If you're using eARC to connect one of the best soundbars from your TV then that'll occupy the second HDMI 2.1 port type.

Got more consoles and whatnot which support 120Hz? You might be out of luck – unless you've bought a higher-end TV, such as an LG OLED G4, which has all four ports at the HDMI 2.1 standard.

So why is HDMI 2.2 important?

Where HDMI 2.2 will up the game is in delivering more bandwidth, giving potential for more resolution at higher refresh rates. There have been some workarounds with the current HDMI 2.1 version already – some TVs can cater for 144Hz or 165Hz, for example – but the 2.2 version will really elevate that by a level.

For TV owners, HDMI 2.2's 4K resolution at 480Hz isn't likely to be of major consequence. After all, film and television are usually shot at either 24, 25 or 30 frames per second – with the USA's NTSC 50Hz and the UK's PAL 60Hz roughly reflecting that.

But for other content, such as gaming, the sky's the limit. Well, 480Hz now is via HDMI 2.2 anyway. If you've got the right variable refresh rate (VRR) support then content can look super-smooth in a way that film and TV can't. This new HDMI format opens the door for that.

HDMI 2.2 is also going to see much greater 8K resolution support. Yes, the previous version supported the resolution, but only to 60Hz – which the newer version quadruples. That's further future-proofing right there – although you'll need a new 'Ultra96' cable type to transmit the full bandwidth.

A lot of this, however, is going to be most useful for 3D imaging – where the frame-rate perceptively halves, as it's per eye – and ultra-massive displays, as HDMI 2.2 can even support up to 12K resolution. For your TV, however, unless you're looking towards one of the best 8K sets in 2026 and beyond, it's otherwise not going to have a huge impact just yet.