It’s time to ditch your old HDMI cables

I don’t like tossing away things while they’re still usable, but there comes a point when enough is enough. It might not seem like it, but HDMI has come quite a way in the past several years, and there’s a chance that you’re not getting the most out of your streaming box or video game console if you’re still using the same decade-old cable.

HDMI 2.0 came out back in 2013, and admittedly, I still use quite a few 2.0 cables around my house. In many situations, they are just fine, but you want to start phasing those out if you haven’t already. This is especially the case if you have an Xbox Series X or PS5 because you’re not getting the most out of your big purchase. The same thing applies if you have an Apple TV 4K or Roku Ultra, so you really should get on the 2.1 bandwagon. The best part about it is that it’s not expensive to go and pick up a 2.1 cable. Once you do that, you’ll immediately start reaping the benefits and then kick yourself for not doing it sooner.

It’s time to move on from your old cables

All good things come to an end

Your HDMI 2.0 cable will continue to work for years to come if you’re taking good care of it, but you should unplug it if you have a modern game console or TV. Let me use the Apple TV 4K as an example. If you have a second or third-generation model, an HDMI 2.1 cable is the only way you can get the most out of your product. Considering an Apple TV 4K costs at least $130 new, you can splurge on the correct cable. An HDMI 2.1 cable boasts speeds of up to 48 Gbps, while a 2.0 cable only reaches 18 Gbps. This makes a difference in audio quality, and it’s something you should care about if you have an audio system at home. Even a basic soundbar will start to sound better if you can get more data sent through the cable.

If that doesn’t sell you, then wait until you hear about the bonuses that come with your PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles. Those consoles ship with their own HDMI 2.1 cables, but I know many people who would rather reuse their current cables. That works, but if you don’t have a 2.1 cable already plugged in, then you’re leaving a lot on the table. If you want to get the full 120 FPS 4K experience from your console, you need to use a 2.1 cable in your TV’s eARC port. I understand that’s not made abundantly clear by the console makers, but that’s an important step.

The reality is that HDMI 2.1 was first released in 2017, and while it took a while to become the standard, it’s been the cable you should have been using for years now. It will likely continue for years as well, despite HDMI 2.2 being right around the corner. Most devices you buy that come bundled with an HDMI cord these days include a 2.1 cable, and these are typically labeled as a Premium High Speed cable. The high speeds, as it turns out, are quite worth it. You don’t have to throw away your old cords or replace them all at once, but I’d recommend swapping them out now.

Nothing is holding you back from upgrading, either. While new technology tends to be expensive, that’s not the case with HDMI 2.1, and part of the reason might be how old it is at this point despite being the newest format. I like to buy HDMI cables from reputable brands, and you can pick up a 6-foot cable from Anker for under $10. That’s a price that doesn’t break the bank, and if you’re fine with rolling the dice on a lesser-known brand, you can do that and save more money. I don’t see any reason you shouldn’t go out to the store and pick up a new cable, especially if it’ll unlock more performance from the devices you’re currently using.

Your old cables still have uses

Just use them with older things

Pocket-lint / Walmart

I don’t like to throw away things while they still work, and I assume many people feel the same. The nice thing about HDMI cables is you don’t have to toss them into the garbage can when you’re done with them. HDMI cables are backward-compatible in the sense that even if the TV you bought only supports HDMI 1.4, you can use your 2.0 or 2.1 cables on it, but you won’t get the extra speeds offered.

Over the years, I’ve amassed a great number of HDMI cables — there’s a whole pile of them sitting in my basement that I just don’t know what to do with. Fortunately, I’ve been tackling all sorts of projects lately, ranging from building a retro game emulator to creating a second home office setup. There are a lot of scenarios where an older HDMI cable comes in handy, so don’t throw them away yet.

The future of HDMI is murky

A new format could take over

HDMI is far and away the most supported platform when it comes to TVs, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t competitors. For example, PC GPUs have almost moved on completely from the format. If you look at an RTX 5080 GPU, you’ll see that it comes with three DisplayPort ports and just a single HDMI one. This trend dates back a few generations too, so there’s a sense that you’re being pushed toward DisplayPort on PC.

That adoption hasn’t yet applied to TVs or game consoles, and I’m not sure when that day will come. DisplayPort 2.1 offers way higher bandwidth than HDMI 2.1 — 80 Gbps compared to 48 Gbps — so it’s a big upgrade. However, the reality is that most people won’t come close to needing those performance gains. HDMI 2.1 can still hit high framerates with ease, but DisplayPort is still overtaking HDMI on PC. I don’t think it’ll replace HDMI on TVs just yet, but it’s something to keep an eye out for, because I’m sure people thought the same thing for PC, and look where we’re at now.