With the release of Thunderbolt 5 external SSDs like the OWC Envoy Ultra and hubs like the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub, you might be wondering if these new Thunderbolt 5 peripherals will still work with host devices that have previous generation Thunderbolt ports. Or maybe you’re wondering if your old Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 drives will still work with your new M4 Pro Mac mini or M4 Max MacBook Pro.
That’s what we’re going to tackle in this post—plus a lot more. First we’ll address Thunderbolt’s forwards compatibility—using a peripheral like a drive or a hub/dock that is built on an older version of Thunderbolt with a host device/PC that has a newer version. Then we’ll address the trickier part of the equation: backwards compatibility—using a peripheral with a newer version of Thunderbolt with a host device that has an older version of Thunderbolt.
Can I use a drive, dock, or hub with an older version of Thunderbolt with a Mac or PC that has a newer version of Thunderbolt? Thunderbolt forwards compatibility is very simple thanks to the fact that Intel has made sure that any peripheral built atop an older version of Thunderbolt can be used on a host device with a newer version of Thunderbolt.
The easiest example of this is connecting a Thunderbolt 3 external SSD like the OWC Envoy Pro FX to an M3 Mac (which has Thunderbolt 4 ports) or an M4 Pro Mac (which has Thunderbolt 5 ports). Thanks to all of these devices using USB-C ports and connectors, it just works. You plug it in, the drive mounts, you go about your business.
But Thunderbolt forwards compatibility is so generous that you can even connect original Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 devices—which did not have USB-C ports—to Thunderbolt 3/4/5 USB-C hosts. This can be done by utilizing a Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter or cable, such as Apple’s Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter.
And if you’re wanting to connect a Thunderbolt 1/2 device with a DisplayPort connection, these devices are also compatible with Thunderbolt 3, 4, and 5 via an adapter. Plus, there are no firmware or software requirements. This is true in general for using devices on Mac or PC—so long as the device in question was offered as compatible with each/either platform originally.
Can I use a drive, dock, or hub with a newer version of Thunderbolt with a Mac or PC that has an older version of Thunderbolt?
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