# The future of USB connectivity (2026) — How USB4 Version 2 and Thunderbolt 5 are bringing copper to its physical limits

> The USB ecosystem is in the midst of another transition that will affect how laptops, desktops, storage devices, displays, and peripherals connect in the second half of the decade. USB4 Version 2.

- **Source:** [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/usb/usbs-next-decade?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=6a61096db39204a888c7200b)
- **Published:** 2026-07-22
- **Category:** Laptops
- **Tags:** #surface
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/6a61096db39204a888c7200b

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at Tom's Hardware (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._