HDMI 2.1 support coming to Linux and Valve's Steam Machine courtesy of AMD

When Valve first announced the Steam Machine late last year, with the device's graphics capabilities powered by a custom RDNA 3 GPU, many noticed that the HDMI specs topped out at HDMI 2.0. The reason for this comes down to the HDMI Forum and the closed, licensing-based nature of the display technology, with both AMD and Valve trying to convince the HDMI Forum leadership to allow open-source HDMI support on Linux.

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This has been an ongoing issue or limitation for years. With the Steam Machine launch reportedly closer than ever, we've now got our first confirmation or evidence that HDMI 2.1 support is coming to Linux and, by extension, SteamOS. If you're wondering why this is a big deal, well, HDMI 2.1's increased bandwidth paves the way for 4K 120Hz gaming, which would be possible when playing less demanding and older titles on the Steam Machine.

This news arrives via the Linux gurus over at Phoronix, who noticed that the latest AMDGPU driver release for the operating system added HDMI FRL support. HDMI Fixed Rate Link is exclusive to HDMI 2.1, and it's the technology that enables higher bandwidth over the HDMI port to support higher resolutions, color spaces, and refresh rates.

The update notes that this addition isn't related to HDMI 2.1 and doesn't include DSC, which is coming later. However, a post on the Phoronix forums from a "prominent" Linux developer at AMD says that HDMI 2.1 is coming soon, with the general understanding that the code and work have been completed for a while, and that the hold-up is compliance and the legalities surrounding implementing HDMI 2.1 support.

The other major benefit of HDMI 2.1 for the Steam Machine, aside from the increased bandwidth, would be VRR, which is a key feature of modern PC and console gaming.