USB4 2.0
USB · 4 specs
Direct Answer
USB4 2.0, released September 2022, doubles USB4's ceiling to 80 Gbit/s symmetric -- or an asymmetric 120/40 Gbit/s split favoring one direction for high-bandwidth uses like external displays. It requires new cables explicitly rated for the higher speed; existing USB4 v1 cables aren't guaranteed to reach it.
Source: USB-IF · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Released | September 2022 |
| Data Rate (symmetric) | 80 Gbit/s |
| Data Rate (asymmetric) | 120 / 40 (split favoring one direction) Gbit/s |
| Connector Required | USB-C only, with cables explicitly rated for USB4 2.0 speeds |
Double the Bandwidth, New Cable Requirements
USB4 2.0, published September 2022, doubles the original USB4's maximum throughput to 80 Gbit/s when split evenly in both directions. For workloads that lean heavily one way -- driving a high-resolution, high-refresh external display while doing comparatively little upstream data transfer, for instance -- it also supports an asymmetric 120/40 Gbit/s mode that shifts more bandwidth to the direction that needs it.
Reaching those speeds requires cables explicitly certified for USB4 2.0's higher signaling rate; a cable built for the original USB4 spec isn't guaranteed to carry the new 80 Gbit/s rate even though it uses the same USB-C connector shape, so cable certification -- not just connector shape -- determines real-world throughput at this tier.