USB-C to HDMI/DisplayPort adapters, checked against real specs

An adapter converts one protocol into another in a single dedicated cable or dongle — USB-C to HDMI, USB-C to DisplayPort — rather than multiplying ports the way a hub does. 52 confirmed, almost entirely for notebooks (50); only 6 confirmed for Steam Deck and 1 each for ROG Ally and Legion Go. That skew makes sense once you consider the use case: a handheld player reaching for extra ports usually wants a hub, not a single-purpose adapter with nothing else attached.

Multi-display adapters lose resolution per display, not just per port count. The Cable Matters 4K Quad Display USB-C MST Adapter (201399) hits 8K@60Hz only with a single monitor connected — plug in a second and each display drops to 4K@120Hz, three or four displays drop each to 4K@60Hz. The 8K figure on the box is real, but only ever applies to the single-display case.

macOS and iPadOS don't support MST (Multi-Stream Transport) for independent extended displays through adapters like the Plugable USBC-MSTH2 — the practical result on Apple hardware is one real extended display and a second display that just mirrors the first, regardless of the adapter's spec sheet.

The Cable Matters USB-C to HDMI Adapter with Charging (201028) has a documented conflict specific to Intel Alder Lake USB-C retimers: plugging in a PD charging cable can force a DisplayPort Alt Mode renegotiation that drops the HDMI signal entirely — a charging-cable bug, not a display one.

Every entry below links to its source and the exact confirmation it's based on. See the FAQ for how we verify this.