Home / Technology / AMD Linux Drivers Get HDMI 2.1 Boost
AMD Linux Drivers Get HDMI 2.1 Boost
4 May
Summary
- AMD's Linux driver now supports HDMI 2.1's Fixed Rate Link.
- This enables higher resolutions and dynamic HDR for Linux gamers.
- Full HDMI 2.1 compliance and DSC support are expected soon.
AMD is advancing HDMI 2.1 support for its Linux amdgpu driver, a development that promises to unlock advanced display features for Linux gamers. The company has submitted patch notes indicating the addition of HDMI Fixed Rate Link (FRL) support. This feature is essential for enabling higher bandwidth, which in turn supports higher resolutions and dynamic HDR.
While this update represents a subset of HDMI 2.1 compliance, lacking Display Stream Compression (DSC) for even higher resolutions, AMD developers confirm that DSC support is undergoing testing and will be released later. Full HDMI 2.1 compliance is also in development, with a comprehensive implementation expected after further testing.
This progress is significant for Steam Machine buyers and Linux gamers who have been awaiting support for display standards first introduced in 2017. Previous workarounds, such as chroma subsampling and AMD Freesync, may become unnecessary once full HDMI 2.1 support is integrated. Valve has been actively working with AMD to resolve these driver issues, and these recent developments suggest those efforts are finally yielding results.
