AMD is adding HDMI 2.1 support for Linux. That’s good news for the Steam Machine.

In a promising development for Linux enthusiasts, AMD is on track to enhance its amdgpu driver with full HDMI 2.1 support, marking a significant step forward for the Steam Machine. Previously, the complexities of HDMI licensing and the open-source nature of AMD's driver development had hindered this progress. Recent updates from AMD's Harry Wentland reveal that the company is introducing HDMI FRL (Fixed Rate Link) support to its widely-used Linux display driver. This feature is crucial as it allows for greater bandwidth through compatible HDMI cables, surpassing the capabilities of the TMDS standard found in HDMI 2.0 and earlier versions. As a result, users will soon be able to enjoy higher resolutions, dynamic HDR, and advanced features such as Variable Refresh Rate, which were previously unavailable with HDMI 2.0. While this update signifies a major leap towards HDMI 2.1 compliance, Wentland cautioned that it only represents a portion of the full HDMI specifications. Notably, the update currently lacks the necessary code for Display Stream Compression (DSC), which is essential for achieving even greater resolutions and frame rates, potentially up to 10K at 100 Hz. However, Wentland assured that DSC support is undergoing testing and will be incorporated in a future release. Furthermore, a comprehensive compliance run for HDMI 2.1 is already in development, promising an exciting future for AMD users on Linux.