Matter 1.5 Update Brings Camera Support, Smart Energy Features & New Device Categories

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has officially released Matter 1.5,a significant update to the smart‑home interoperability standard that now adds native camera support, refined “closure” devices, soil sensors, and expanded energy‑management features. This marks one of the biggest functional expansions since the launch of Matter.

What Is New in Matter 1.5

Matter 1.5 introduces camera support, allowing developers to build and certify cameras that work directly within the Matter ecosystem, without custom APIs. According to the CSA, the specification supports live video and audio streaming using WebRTC, enabling two-way communication, remote access via STUN and TURN protocols, and features like pan/tilt/zoom, multi-stream configurations, detection zones, and privacy zones. Recording can be either event‑based or continuous, and manufacturers may choose to store footage locally, in the cloud, or on device.

Another major addition is the “closures” category, which includes devices such as window shades, drapes, awnings, garage doors, and gates. Matter 1.5 defines a modular, unified cluster design that lets manufacturers represent motion types (sliding, rotating, opening) and different structural configurations (single or dual panels, nested mechanisms).

Garden and plant-care functionality is also improved through soil sensors. These sensors can measure soil moisture and, optionally, temperature. When paired with Matter-enabled water valves or irrigation systems, they enable automated watering based on real-time data.

On the energy front, Matter 1.5 strengthens smart home integration with utilities. A new “electrical energy tariff” device type enables devices to communicate with grid operators about real-time and forecasted pricing, tariff schedules, and even carbon intensity of the energy supply. Devices can report energy costs, estimate carbon impact, or adjust their behavior based on tariff cycles.

Matter 1.5 also supports bi-directional EV charging and state-of-charge reporting, making vehicle-to-grid scenarios more viable.

To accommodate the increased data demand from video and other rich content, the specification adds full TCP transport support. That enhances the reliability of large data transfers, firmware updates, and other high-bandwidth operations.

Why Camera Support Matters

Adding cameras to the Matter standard represents a long-awaited leap for the smart-home ecosystem. Until now, camera devices, such as security cams, video doorbells, and baby monitors, often depended on proprietary integrations or cloud-based APIs, limiting interoperability across platforms.

With Matter 1.5, users may finally mix and match certified cameras from different brands (for example, combining a Ring camera with a Nest device) under one unified control system, such as Apple Home, Google Home, or Amazon Alexa.

On the technical side, supporting features like pan/tilt/zoom, privacy zones, multi-stream, and encrypted storage has been challenging. Matter’s adoption of WebRTC and TCP helps solve many of these hurdles, providing reliable, standard‑based communication.

Implications for Manufacturers, Platforms, and Consumers

For device makers, Matter 1.5 offers a clear route to develop and certify new hardware, including cameras and closures, without fragmenting their own apps. The unified cluster model simplifies development and encourages innovation.

Platform developers now have more incentive to support these new device categories. However, actual ecosystem adoption will depend on how quickly companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google implement Matter 1.5 support in their controllers and hubs.

For consumers, the benefits could be substantial: more choice, cross-brand compatibility, and deeper integration. But the actual impact will depend on how fast manufacturers certify existing products or release new Matter 1.5 devices. Until then, users may need to wait for firmware updates or new hardware.

Context: Matter’s Evolution

Matter is an open-source, secure smart-home standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, with support from major players such as Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung.

Earlier in 2025, Matter released version 1.4.1, which improved the setup experience by adding features like NFC tap-to-pair and multi-device QR codes.

With version 1.5, the CSA is returning to its original mission of expanding device support while reinforcing interoperability and stability.

What Comes Next

Matter 1.5 is now available to CSA members in the form of specification, SDK, and test tools. Manufacturers can begin planning certification for their new or updated devices.

The key question now is which companies will be first to launch or update Matter‑certified cameras and other compatible devices. Smart-home users should watch for announcements from major brands.

Over time, as more products adopt the new standard and platforms integrate support, the smart-home landscape is likely to become more open, flexible, and deeply interconnected.

In summary, Matter 1.5 is a major step forward: it finally brings cameras into the fold, while also supporting closures, soil sensors, and smarter energy‑management. The update lays strong groundwork, but adoption will depend on manufacturers certifying devices and platforms embracing the new capabilities.