We know that Thunderbolt’s subsequent main iteration, Thunderbolt 5, will debut someday in 2024. Two distributors, J5create and Hyper, confirmed off their first {hardware} at CES 2024. But there are two large questions: When will you really get it and the way a lot will it value you?

The reply? It relies upon. Both J5 and Hyper representatives informed PCWorld that they obtained their prototype {hardware} simply Sunday, and a J5 consultant mentioned he was optimistic that his firm’s first product would ship in March. Others weren’t so certain.

Thunderbolt is the extra highly effective I/O different to the generic USB-C connection discovered inside most laptops. Though a 10Gbps USB-C connection can be utilized to drive a USB-C hub or dongle so as to add ports to your laptop computer, the 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3/4 connection permits for a number of high-speed shows by way of a Thunderbolt dock.

Thunderbolt 5 doubles that throughput to 80Gbps, and in some circumstances presents a one-way connection that may hit 120Gpbs. That will permit customers so as to add a number of high-speed shows to their laptop computer. Thunderbolt 4 allowed you to attach two 4K shows, at 60Hz. Thunderbolt 5 will increase that to assist three 4K shows, at 144Hz every.

The drawback is that Thunderbolt requires each machine assist in addition to in your laptop computer or desktop PC. Intel has mentioned beforehand that Thunderbolt 5 shall be supported in its 2024 product lineup, however as a discrete chip: That implies that laptop computer OEMs pays extra so as to add Thunderbolt 5 to their laptops, and, by extension, so will you. It can even doubtless sap a little bit of energy out of your laptop computer’s battery.

We nonetheless don’t know when both the Thunderbolt host controller or the machine controller will ship. But with the primary Thunderbolt controllers already in prototype {hardware}, we might be optimistic.

The first Thunderbolt 5 docks, revealed

J5create, also referred to as J5, confirmed off the Thunderbolt 5 Dual 8K60 Display Dock on the CES Unveiled present on Sunday evening. It shall be priced at $499, a consultant mentioned, and sure accessible for customers to purchase in March.

Mark Hachman / IDG

It’s not fairly clear what the particular options of the J5 machine shall be, but it surely seems that it’ll lean into the prevailing Mac marketplace for Thunderbolt shows in addition to the emerging USB-C/Thunderbolt monitor marketplace for Windows gadgets. It has two Thunderbolt 5 ports on the entrance, a microSD/SD card slot, a mic/speaker jack, and a 10Gbps USB-A port. On the again, there’s an influence enter, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet jack, two USB-A ports (5Gbps and 10Gbps), and a 3rd Thunderbolt 5 upstream port, mixed with the downstream connection to your PC. It’s price noting that Thunderbolt 5 does permit for as much as 240W downstream charging to your laptop computer, however J5 plans to assist 140W charging as a substitute.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Hyper, the extra consumer-focused imprint of Targus, additionally revealed the Hyper TB5 Dock, which it plans to promote for $399, a consultant mentioned.

Hyper’s TB5 dock seems related. There, Hyper’s TB5 Dock presents each a microSD card and SD card slot, alongside two upstream Thunderbolt 5 ports. There’s additionally a 10Gbps USB-A port and a mic/headphone jack.

Mark Hachman / IDG

On the rear, this triple show dock presents two DisplayPort ports and an HDMI port, the specs of which weren’t clear. There can be an Ethernet connection. On the rear, there’s a pair of USB 3.2 Type A ports (at 10Gbps apiece) in addition to a Thunderbolt 5 port.

And there was a hidden shock in each docks, too: a small foldout port for an M.2 SSD card, making them Thunderbolt dock enclosures, as effectively.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Bernie Thompson, the chief technical officer of dock maker Plugable Technologies, informed PCWorld that he expects Thunderbolt 5 {hardware} to be accessible “towards the end of the year.”

Plugable launched the TBT4-UD5 Monday at CES 2024, which he mentioned may very well be one of many firm’s final Thunderbolt 4 docks. The TBT4-UD5, priced at $199, pairs two HDMI ports with a downstream Thunderbolt 4 port, a 10GBps USB-C port, 4 USB-A ports (two at 10Gbps, and two at 5Gbps), microSD/SD card readers, and a 3.5mm jack. It delivers 96W downstream to your pocket book.

Plugable’s Thompson mentioned that it’s fairly clear that HDMI has received out because the I/O connection interface of alternative, although noting that it’s the embedded DisplayPort protocol that really is the Thunderbolt switch medium.