The latest HDMI 2.1b Specification delivers a powerful suite of gaming features that push the gaming experience to the highest level. The specification supports a resolution of 4K at 120Hz refresh rate, and even 144Hz for gaming TVs and monitors, and enables an immersive experience into the game worlds.
The addition of gaming-specific features includes Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Quick Frame Transport (QFT). For explanations on how those provide the best gaming experiences read the full details below.
The Xbox Series X and Sony PS5 consoles were the first to support the latest HDMI 2.1b enabled gaming features and are driving incredible experiences in immersive and fast-action gameplay. The heart of PC gaming is the advanced graphics card and several HDMI 2.1b enabled performers are available from Nvidia, AMD and Intel for achieving the best performance.
Now that many HDMI 4K HDMI 2.1b TVs have advanced gaming features you can go big and use them instead of a gaming monitor and share the action with your friends and family; and they provide more flexibility in sizes and prices than gaming monitors. And games can be experienced with 8K resolution TVs as well, with impressive upscaling delivering spectacular game environments. And higher refresh rate and faster response time gaming monitors are also available with the latest HDMI 2.1b features.
And the last piece of gear needed for maximum gaming – the Ultra High Speed HDMI® Cable. This is the only cable that supports ALL the HDMI 2.1b features, so make sure it is a “certified” Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable, with that name printed on the cable jacket, and with packaging including the physical Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable Label. More cable info
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) reduces or eliminates lag, judder and frame tearing for more fluid and better detailed gameplay. VRR enables a gaming source such as a console or computer to deliver video frames as fast as it can, which in many cases is slower than the normal static refresh rate.
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Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) enables the ideal latency setting to automatically be set allowing for smooth, lag-free and uninterrupted viewing and interactivity. In many cases this is referred to as game mode, and it usually has to be set manually which involves going through menus and settings and then switching back again for normal viewing.
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Quick Frame Transport (QFT) reduces latency for smoother no-lag gaming, and real-time interactive virtual reality. QFT transports each frame at a higher rate to decrease “display latency”, which is the amount of time between a frame being ready for transport in the GPU and that frame being completely displayed.
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HDMI® Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA) is the agent appointed by the HDMI Forum to license Version 2.1b of the HDMI Specification and is the agent appointed by the HDMI Founders to license earlier HDMI Specifications.
