The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) just announced the newest iteration of DisplayPort technology: DisplayPort 2. This new standard will support resolutions up to 16K and use either traditional DisplayPort connectors or USB-C. Expect to get your hands on it in late 2020.
What Is DisplayPort?
DisplayPort is the video transfer standard that most people have never heard of. At a basic level, it’s nearly identical to HDMI. The current iteration of DisplayPort can transfer 60hz 8K video and audio to TVs and monitors (HDMI 2.1 supports 10K). It comes in a large and mini form factor (like Mini HDMI). And, like HDMI cables, DisplayPort cables are really cheap.
So, why do people use DisplayPort at all? Well, for one, it’s useful for multiple monitor setups. Unlike HDMI, DisplayPort has a fancy “daisy chain” feature. You can plug one monitor into your computer via DisplayPort, and then run DisplayPort cables from that first monitor to the other screens in your setup. It’s clean, it’s intuitive, and computer professionals and PC gamers love it.
But unless you own a high-end monitor or computer, there’s a good chance that you can’t use DisplayPort at all. Since professionals and gamers usually use it, manufacturers don’t bother installing DisplayPorts in cheap computers, monitors, or TVs. So should you be interested in DisplayPort 2 at all? Is it groundbreaking in any way?
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DisplayPort 2 Is Future-Proof and Ready for VR
The newest iteration of DisplayPort is, in essence, an upgrade to DisplayPort’s current specs. It’s pretty cut and dry. DisplayPort 2 supports 8K, 10K, and 16K video resolutions with a 60 Hz refresh rate (twice the resolution and bandwidth of current DisplayPort standards). It transfers data at a rate of 77.37 Gbps, and it will have HDR10 support. Plus, all DisplayPort 2 devices will require DSC support, which is a standard for lossless image compression that some manufacturers ignore.
These specs are impressive on their own. But they’re more impressive when you consider how they may influence virtual reality gaming. DisplayPort 2’s 77.37 Gbps payload delivery is more than ideal for VR gaming, and VESA claims that the upgraded video standard can send 4K 60 Hz video to up to two VR headsets at a time (via the daisy chaining feature, which is quite naturally a part of DisplayPort 2).
And, thankfully, DisplayPort 2 is compatible with older DisplayPort hardware (the cable shape hasn’t changed). This shouldn’t be an issue for small devices like phones and laptops—USB-C is also fully compatible with DisplayPort 2 (more on that in a second.)
With 16K video and VR-friendly data transfer speeds, DisplayPort 2 looks to be future-proof. It’s possible that we won’t see an upgrade to the video standard for another decade.
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Source : DisplayPort 2: What’s Different, and Why It Matters
