OWC Unleashes Full Thunderbolt 5 Ecosystem for Creatives at CES 2026

WOODSTOCK, IL – December 29, 2025 – As the tech world prepares to descend on Las Vegas for CES 2026, Other World Computing (OWC) has announced a formidable new lineup of hardware and software solutions poised to redefine high-performance workflows for creative professionals. The company, a long-trusted name in the Mac and PC accessory space, is making a significant push into the next generation of connectivity with a suite of products built around the new Thunderbolt 5 standard. The showcase will feature a stackable hybrid storage system for Mac Studio, a powerful multi-network dock, a certified long-length cable, and a groundbreaking remote collaboration platform.

OWC's announcement signals a clear strategy: to build a comprehensive ecosystem that addresses the entire production chain for video editors, photographers, and audio engineers. With data demands skyrocketing due to 8K video and high-resolution assets, the doubled bandwidth of Thunderbolt 5—up to 80Gb/s bi-directionally—is not just a luxury but a necessity. OWC appears ready to capitalize on this technological shift, providing the critical infrastructure professionals need to harness this new speed.

“These showcases give us a great opportunity to demonstrate how OWC continues to push the limits of performance, reliability, and flexibility,” said Chris Kooistra, Vice President of Marketing at OWC, in a press release. The upcoming demonstrations at Pepcom’s Digital Experience and ShowStoppers @ CES will provide the first public look at how these tools integrate to solve modern creative challenges.

Supercharging Apple’s Compact Powerhouses

At the heart of OWC’s new lineup is the StudioStack, a product aimed squarely at the legions of creative professionals who have adopted Apple’s Mac Studio and Mac mini. While these machines are praised for their processing power in a compact chassis, their internal storage is not user-upgradeable, and their port selection can be limiting for complex setups. The OWC StudioStack is engineered as a direct solution to these constraints.

Designed with an aircraft-grade aluminum enclosure that shares the exact footprint of the Mac Studio and Mac mini, the StudioStack nests perfectly underneath the computer, creating a seamless, integrated unit. But its true power lies within. Billed as the “world’s first, fastest, and highest-capacity Thunderbolt 5 stackable hybrid storage solution,” it offers a potent combination of speed and space. Users can configure the device with up to 8TB of blistering-fast NVMe M.2 SSD storage, achieving real-world speeds of up to 6302MB/s—fast enough to edit multiple streams of 8K video directly from the drive. This is complemented by a bay for a traditional hard drive, allowing for up to 24TB of high-capacity storage for archives, backups, and project libraries.

The StudioStack is also a massive connectivity hub. It leverages its Thunderbolt 5 connection to provide three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports and three 10Gb/s USB-A ports. This not only replaces the port used to connect it but dramatically expands the user's ability to connect high-speed drives, multiple high-resolution displays, and other essential peripherals. Engineered for quiet operation with a smart adaptive fan, the unit is designed to sit on a desk without disrupting the creative process, a crucial detail for audio and video professionals working in quiet environments.

Breaking Network and Connectivity Bottlenecks

For professionals working in collaborative environments or relying on network-attached storage (NAS), OWC is introducing the Thunderbolt 5 Dual 10GbE Network Dock. This device targets a major bottleneck in modern workflows: getting massive files from a central server to a local workstation quickly. The dock transforms a single Thunderbolt 5 port on a notebook or desktop into a high-speed networking and connectivity powerhouse.

Its headline feature is a trio of Ethernet ports: two 10Gb/s ports and one 2.5Gb/s port. This allows a user to connect to three separate networks simultaneously or, more compellingly, to bond the two 10GbE ports. Using link aggregation, a user can achieve a theoretical throughput of up to 20Gb/s when connecting to a compatible NAS or switch, enabling workstation-class network speeds from a laptop. This capability is transformative for workflows that were previously impossible without a dedicated desktop workstation with specialized network cards.

Beyond networking, the dock is a full-featured expansion solution. It provides three Thunderbolt 5 ports and four USB 10Gb/s ports, offering extensive options for connecting everything from cutting-edge drives to legacy devices. It also supports up to three 8K displays, allowing for expansive and detailed visual workspaces. Housed in a fanless aluminum enclosure, it promises silent, cool operation while delivering extreme performance.

The Unsung Heroes: Advanced Cables and Software

Supporting this high-speed hardware are two other critical announcements. First is a fully certified 2-meter Thunderbolt 5 cable. While often overlooked, cabling is a crucial component of a high-performance setup. High-speed standards like Thunderbolt 5 are typically limited to short, passive cables. OWC's 2-meter active cable, engineered with signal amplification and robust shielding, allows for more flexible desk arrangements without sacrificing the full 80Gb/s data speed, 120Gb/s video bandwidth, or 240W power delivery of the new standard.

Perhaps the most forward-looking part of OWC’s showcase is its partnership with the Strada Peer-to-Peer Collaboration Platform. This addresses a major pain point in the age of remote work: collaborating on massive video projects. Instead of forcing teams to upload, download, or sync terabytes of data to and from cloud services, Strada allows professionals to access, share, and review large video files stored on local drives anywhere in the world. At CES, the Strada team will demonstrate its patent-pending virtual file editing technology, which enables an editor to drag remote video files directly into their local editing timeline, even in low-bandwidth situations. OWC's investment in Strada, announced in late 2025, shows a strategic expansion beyond hardware into the software that defines modern creative workflows.

Together, these announcements paint a picture of a company deeply in tune with the evolving needs of its core audience. By providing a complete ecosystem of storage, docking, connectivity, and software, OWC is not just selling products; it is offering a holistic solution to the challenges of the next generation of digital content creation.