AMD has taken a major step toward enabling native open-source HDMI 2.1 support on Linux by submitting new patches for its AMDGPU driver.
AMD Moves Closer to Open-Source HDMI 2.1 Support on Linux With New AMDGPU FRL Patches
It appears that the HDMI 2.1 support is finally arriving to Linux as AMD has submitted the new Fixed Rate Link (FRL) patches for its AMDGPU driver. This has been one of the longest-standing limitations that affected Radeon GPUs on the platform. There have been years of restrictions tied to the HDMI Forum (Org behind the HDMI standard) policies that prevented upstream implementation of HDMI 2.1.
As spotted by Phoronix, the new patches introduce HDMI 2.1 FRL support to the AMDGPU display driver, which will serve as a key transport upgrade required for modern displays that boast high resolution and refresh rates. According to the patch notes, the implementation has already passed some HDMI compliance tests, and full validation is underway. Remember that this submission doesn't include the complete HDMI 2.1 feature stack, as capabilities such as DSC or Display Stream Compression are still being prepared.
"This patch series adds HDMI FRL support to the amdgpu display driver. DSC is still being tested and will be sent out later.
This work passed a representative subset of HDMI compliance and a full compliance run on this branch is in the works. We don't expect the full run to show any failures since it passes in other environments.
Thanks to Siqueira who prepared this work a couple years back and unfortunately didn't manage to send them while he was still working at AMD.
Thanks to Jerry who has been making this code solid on Linux and running the compliance tests.
The first patch in the series isn't related to HDMI 2.1 but included here because it moved the code around some key bits of the HDMI 2.1 stuff around too much. It will land with the next DC Patch series."
Other gaming-oriented features, such as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and other optional HDMI 2.1 enhancements, are not the part of the current patch set. That said, the FRL inclusion is alone a big milestone because it unlocks higher link bandwidth, which is a big upgrade over the HDMI 2.0 standard. Historically, AMD's open-source Linux driver lacked HDMI 2.1 support due to the licensing restrictions imposed by the HDMI Forum. The talks have been going on for a while, and AMD finally appears to have success, but the credit also goes to Valve, which has been active in the talks.
Efforts by Valve and community developers have resulted in pushing for upstream HDMI 2.1 enablement. The efforts paid off well, particularly as Valve’s Linux-based gaming platforms increasingly rely on modern HDMI 2.1 display support. For gamers, the HDMI 2.1 standard is particularly helpful as it increases the bandwidth dramatically, supports formats such as 4K@120Hz or 8K@60Hz. The interface also supports VRR and DSC, but that may take some more time to get fully functional on Linux.
News Source: Phoronix
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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