VESA has announced that DisplayPort 2.1 will supersede DisplayPort 2.0. Version 2.1 does not introduce new features but is designed to be a more robust link to support longer cables.

The latest version of DisplayPort now uses the same version number as the latest version of HDMI, but the switch from 2.0 to 2.1 in DisplayPort is quite different.

- "VESA has been working closely with member companies to ensure that products supporting DisplayPort 2.0 would actually meet the newer, more demanding DisplayPort 2.1 spec. Due to this effort, all previously certified DisplayPort 2.0 products including UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate) capable products – whether GPUs, docking station chips, monitor scalar chips, PHY repeater chips such as re-timers, or DP40/DP80 cables (including both passive and active, and using full-size DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort or USB Type-C connectors) – have already been certified to the stricter DisplayPort 2.1 spec," announced VESA.

For consumers it means that DisplayPort gets more robust with improved performance to better enable the very high bandwidth for 4K, HDR, 8K, 10K or even 16K. The high-speed link should now work better over both DisplayPort cables and USB cables.



DisplayPort 2.1 will therefore enable "enable improved connectivity and longer cable lengths" beyond two meters for DP40 cables and beyond one meter for DP80 cables without affecting bandwidth.

- "DisplayPort 2.1 brings DisplayPort into convergence with USB4 PHY specifications to ensure the highest video performance across a broad range of consumer products. Display transport through DisplayPort, with its higher bit rates and proven visual quality of DSC compression even for HDR content, offers ample bandwidth for the needs of virtually every practical application," said Alan Kobayashi, VESA Board Chair and VESA DisplayPort Task Group Chair.

Uptake of DisplayPort 2.0 has been slow so hopefully the improvements in DisplayPort 2.1 mean that the new interface gets more widespread adoption in consumer products in the near future.

DisplayPort 2.1 FAQ
In VESA's own words:

Achieving a robust, end-to-end user visual experience remains the utmost priority for VESA’s DisplayPort specification, whether across a native DisplayPort cable, via DisplayPort Alt Mode (DisplayPort over the USB Type-C connector), or tunneled through the USB4 link. As such, DisplayPort 2.1 has tightened its alignment with the USB Type-C specification as well as the USB4 PHY specification to facilitate a common PHY servicing both DisplayPort and USB4. In addition, DisplayPort 2.1 has added a new DisplayPort bandwidth management feature to enable DisplayPort tunneling to coexist with other I/O data traffic more efficiently over the USB4 link. This increased efficiency is on top of mandated support for VESA’s visually lossless Display Stream Compression (DSC) codec and VESA’s Panel Replay capability. DSC bitstream support can reduce DisplayPort transport bandwidth in excess of 67 percent without visual artifacts, while VESA’s Panel Replay capability can reduce DisplayPort tunneling packet transport bandwidth in excess of 99 percent when Panel Replay operation is taking place.
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