Microsoft Starts Testing Support for USB 80Gbps on Windows 11

Microsoft has started testing support for USB 80Gbps, the latest version of the USB4 standard, with Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel. However, to test the latest generation USB standard, you’ll need a brand new device with the Intel Core 14th Gen HX-series mobile processors that Intel announced earlier this week at CES. In other words, this test is going to be very limited until devices with these new Intel chips start shipping to consumers.

“This is the first major version update of the USB4 standard and increases performance to 80Gbps from 40Gbps,” the Windows Insider team explained today. “It enables the next generation of high-performance displays, storage, and connectivity. It is fully backwards compatible with peripherals built for older generations of USB and Thunderbolt and works alongside all other USB Type-C features.”

While USB 80Gbps support is the big new feature in today’s Windows 11 Dev build 23615, the new bits introduce other notable changes. Some Insiders on devices with widescreens will see Copilot open automatically when Windows starts. This feature, which some of you will probably find intrusive, can be turned off in Personalization > Copilot in Windows.

In this build, Microsoft is also introducing new share targets for sharing links from your web browser through the Windows share window. The latest additions include WhatsApp, Gmail, X/Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

These changes to Windows Share are also gradually rolling out to Insiders on the Beta Channel who will install today’s Beta build 22635.3061 (and turn on the toggle to get new features in Windows Update). Another change that’s gradually rolling out to Beta Channel testers is the richer weather experience on the lock screen that Microsoft introduced in last week’s Dev Channel build 23612.

Lastly, Microsoft also released today the KB5034204 update for Release Preview Insiders running Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2. This update brings the ability to ink everywhere you can type across Windows 11, and it also includes more accurate recognition technology and new gestures to delete, select, join, and split words.