- Microsoft has new rules to ensure more consistency with USB-C ports
- This means that any USB-C port offers data, power and display support
- Previously you were not guaranteed to get all of these basic elements whose portable manufacturers cut corners with their plugs
In the future, USB-C ports will be held on Windows 11-laptop computers to more consistent standards, which means users can expect a minimum amount of functionality with a given plug.
Toms Hardware noticed Microsoft’s blog post and explained a new update to Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) designed to end confusion about USB-C ports. The broad idea is to ensure that each of these connectors delivers certain key functions with regard to data transfer, power supply (charging) and driving an external screen.
Currently, while the USB-C specification includes all of these separate elements and a lot of versatility to the gate in there, parts are missing with plugs on some laptops as it is not mandatory to include everything.
Microsoft has changed this with his new way of working, observing that: “While the USB specifications allow PC manufacturers to choose which optional features the port supports, we began to establish a minimum line for USB-C port functions on PCs.”
This baseline beam means that with Windows 11-Laptop (and tablets) all USB-C ports must provide display support (to connect a screen), PC charging support (power) and of course data transfer (as all USB connectors do of course) at a certain speed.
In addition, Microsoft notes that any port that supports USB 40 Gbps works fine with both USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 peripheral devices.
These updated WHCP requirements have come into play with Windows 11 24H2, and notebooks running 24h2 will already support them.
Analysis: Consistency with plugs
With the old way of working, the practicality of USB-C ports is that you may buy a laptop that comes with a few of these connectors and is quite happy to use them for USB sticks or charging. Then, one day, when you connect a screen, you will suddenly find that your gates do not support a display because the portable manufacturer produced these USB-C connectors without the special capacity (to save some money).
The problem is that there is no clear marking on a USB-C port, and you may not be able to find out if any missing pieces of functionality puzzle before you encounter them in this way-and it’s too late at that time.
With the new minimum standard in place, all USB-C ports on WHCP-certified Windows 11-laptop will certainly support all these three basic columns: power, display and data transfer.
NOW NOW that there are still variations in the specifications of USB-C ports in terms of how many screens they may support or how much power the USB cable provides and the speed of data transfers (all of which must be made clear in the laptop’s spec).
See the screen above for the details, but the central point is that from now on, you know that all three of the basic bases are covered with at least a certain level of functionality when you buy a new Windows 11 laptop-with every USB-C port aboard the unit-what should be a good thing.
