If you’ve purchased a 2022 version of the Razer Blade 14, you’re in for an sudden bonus: a firmware improve that may remodel the laptop computer’s USB-C ports into full-fledged USB4 ports, upping their throughput considerably.

Razer stated that the sudden improve was already supported by the laptop computer’s current {hardware}, however that the improve was being made obtainable by way of AMD’s new help for the USB4 customary.

If you go to (and purchase) a Razer Blade 14 on Razer’s site, the Razer Blade 14, the laptop computer is at present marketed as having a “2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with Power Delivery and Display Port 1.4” ports, which might usually ship 10Gbps on every port. Now, because of the improve, every port shall be able to 40Gbps, by way of USB4. That’s sufficient to attach a Thunderbolt dock (that helps USB4) or a dedicated USB4 peripheral like a quick SSD or a number of 4K shows. Before the improve, connecting these exterior units wasn’t attainable.

Improving a laptop computer port’s capabilities by way of a software program improve must be unimaginable. But a spokesman for Razer stated that, “the existing hardware already resident in the Blade 14 is capable of supporting USB4, but the feature was not initially present due to software limitations. Those limitations have been resolved, hence a firmware update is all that is required to leverage the full USB4 standard.”

In addition, the firmware replace will activate Microsoft’s Pluton know-how, a safety core that’s obtainable in AMD’s Ryzen processors (which energy the Blade 14) however not Intel’s Core chips. Pluton has been used in the Xbox game console to prevent hacking, and was adopted by AMD (but not Intel) to guard PCs.

The solely wrinkle seems to be that Razer is recommending customers directly contact Razer’s support for the improve, reasonably than use the built-in improve instruments inside the laptop computer. Nevertheless, upgrading laptop computer {hardware} by way of software program isn’t one thing you see day by day.