Matter 1.4.2 Arrives: The Quiet Revolution Making Smart Homes Smarter
For years, the smart home industry has been talking about a single standard to unite devices from every major manufacturer. That vision, originally launched as Project CHIP, has been a long road, full of delays, breakthroughs, and incremental progress. Now, with the release of Matter 1.4.2 this summer, we're seeing a solid step forward in reliability, security and large scale home integration. And if the rumours about Matter 1.5 are true, the next chapter could be even bigger.
From Project CHIP to Matter
Matter's journey began back in 2019 under the name Project CHIP (Connected Home over IP). The first release was planned for late 2020, but delays pushed it into 2021, and then again into 2022. When Matter 1.0 finally launched in October 2022, it brought with it a shared Software Development Kit (SDK), open testing tools, and a global certification program via eight authorised test labs, kicking off the slow but steady adoption we've seen since.
Matter's Journey so far
-
Matter 1.0
The first public release of the Matter standard, covering lighting, plugs, locks, thermostats, sensors, and TVs. Laying the foundation for universal smart home interoperability.
22-10-2022
-
Matter 1.1
Mostly stability fixes, tightening up the user experience after early adopted feedback.
18-05-2023
-
Matter 1.2
Support for nine new device types, including fridges, AC units, dishwashers and robotic vacuums. Plus, improvements to multi admin, commissioning and certification.
23-10-2023
-
Matter 1.3
Introduced energy management, EV charging, and water management features as well as ovens, cooktops, and laundry dryers. Enhanced Matter Casting meant devices like robot vacuums could send alerts to TVs directly.
08-05-2024
-
Matter 1.4
A leap in interoperability with Enhanced Multi Admin, allowing devices to join multiple ecosystems automatically. Added support for solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and water heaters for more advanced energy automation.
07-11-2024
-
Matter 1.4.1
Simplified onboarding with enhanced setup flow, multi device setup QR codes, and NFC tap to onboard features.
07-05-2025
-
Matter 1.4.2
This update is all about scalability and robustness:
-Better transport reliability and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) commissioning
Stronger Platform Security Architecture (PSA) based cryptographic security
Refactored code for performance and modularity
Increased Thread Border Router capacity to 150 devices, making it more viable for large scale residential installs
11-08-2025
Looking Ahead
Expected later this year, Matter 1.5 is rumoured to finally unlock native camera streaming support, likely using Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) over Wi-Fi or ethernet. This would mean installers and integrators could bring smart cameras into the same unified Matter ecosystem as lighting, heating and AV without the headaches of brand specific apps or workarounds. For residential AV professionals, that's a potential game changer.
The Integration Reality
Matter's specification may be evolving at pace, but real world adoption by the biggest players (Google, Apple, Amazon, Samsung), still lags behind the release cycle. Each new update provides manufactures with the SDK and testing tools, yet it can take months before those capabilities make their way into consumer ready devices.
For the professional integration market, this gap is both a challenge and an opportunity. Understanding the roadmap means you can design systems that are ready to take advantage of new capabilities the moment they roll out, positioning your projects not just for current needs, but the connected homes of the near future.
