OWC has launched a high-speed USB4 hub that transforms a single connection into multiple ports, including HDMI 2.1 and fast charging, supporting up to two displays and full 40Gb/s data transfer speed.
OWC has unveiled a USB4 hub aimed at users who need more ports without surrendering speed. The company says the six-port device turns a single USB4 connection into four useful downstream connections, while also adding HDMI 2.1 and laptop charging over the same cable. That places it in the small group of hubs intended to work at the full 40Gb/s level rather than the more common 10Gb/s ceiling found on many USB-C accessories.
According to OWC, the hub includes two USB4 downstream ports, two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports and one HDMI 2.1 port, alongside a USB4 host port rated for up to 81W charging. The design is fanless and aluminium-clad, and OWC says it is compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS and iPad Pro systems, as well as Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5 hardware. The company also says the hub can support up to two displays.
The video and specifications supplied by OWC indicate support for an 8K/60Hz display over HDMI and a 4K/240Hz display through the USB4 outputs, with the ports usable individually or in combination. For filmmakers, editors and other media workers, that matters because it allows a display, fast storage and other peripherals to remain active at the same time, rather than forcing traffic through a slower shared path. In practical terms, that should help when copying footage, backing up drives and keeping a laptop charged from one compact dock.
OWC says the hub is available to preorder now, with shipping expected at the end of October. The company lists the price at $129.99, which puts it close to its existing Thunderbolt Hub, a related product reviewed by Tech Advisor that adds three Thunderbolt ports and a USB-A connection, but at a slightly lower level of expansion.
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