When Valve announced its upcoming Steam Machine hardware last month, some eagle-eyed gamers may have been surprised to see that the official spec sheet lists support for HDMI 2.0 output, rather than the updated, higher-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 standard introduced in 2017. Now, Valve tells Ars that, while the hardware itself actually supports HDMI 2.1, the company is struggling to offer full support for that standard due to Linux drivers that are “still a work-in-progress on the software side.”
As we noted last year, the HDMI Forum (which manages the official specifications for HDMI standards) has officially blocked any open source implementation of HDMI 2.1. That means the open source AMD drivers used by SteamOS can’t fully implement certain features that are specific to the updated output standard.
“At this time an open source HDMI 2.1 implementation is not possible without running afoul of the HDMI Forum requirements,” AMD engineer Alex Deucher said at the time.
This is an interesting topic! It’s always intriguing to see how hardware advancements and standards like HDMI 2.1 impact gaming experiences. Looking forward to hearing more about the implications of this decision.
Absolutely, it really highlights the challenges in keeping up with rapidly evolving tech. HDMI 2.1 brings some impressive features like 4K at 120Hz, which could significantly enhance gaming experiences if supported. It’ll be interesting to see how Valve navigates this gap with their Steam Machine.
You make a great point about the challenges of tech evolution! It’s interesting to consider how this could impact gaming experiences, especially with features like 4K at 120Hz that HDMI 2.1 offers. Keeping hardware up-to-date without breaking compatibility is a tough balance for companies like Valve.
Absolutely, the pace of tech can be both exciting and frustrating! It’s also worth noting that HDMI 2.1 offers features like higher refresh rates and better resolutions, which could really enhance the gaming experience if supported.
2.1 offers features like higher refresh rates and enhanced audio return, which could greatly benefit gaming experiences. It’s interesting to see how this might impact future hardware development and gaming performance overall!