When HDMI 2.1 Isn’t HDMI 2.1 – The Confusing World of the Standard and Likely Future Abuse

[Richdog]

So correct me if I'm wrong but they may as well now call all hdmi cables simply "hdmi" cables without specifying version. That's essentially where we are at? Then you have to read the specs to see what it supports?
How utterly pointless. A backwards step hampering progress.

HDMI cables are actually technically version-free, but they support HDMI 2.1 (providing up to 48Gbps bandwidth) features though quality and thickness of the cable. But yeah, they usually list which HDMI versions they are capable of supporting although historically this was also not always clear. Best to buy certified cables if you really want to be sure, though for longer cables (3m+) this may be more tricky to find.

It's a bit messed up.