What’s the Difference in USB 3.1 Gen 1, Gen 2 and USB 3.2?

What’s the Difference in USB 3.1 Gen 1, Gen 2 and USB 3.2?

Two USB flash drives, one connected to a laptop

The USB standards and their specifications can be a little challenging to understand, especially after their many updates. We’ll examine the difference between USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2, and talk about why Gen 2 is better than Gen 1, as well as providing other helpful information that will allow you to understand everything you need to know about USB standards.

USB 3.0 was released over ten years ago in 2008 and it was the third major revision to the USB standard. It was a big improvement from USB 2.0 which first arrived in 2000 with transfer speeds of only 480 Mbit/s. Since then, we’ve moved on from USB 3.0 which is now known as USB 3.1 Gen 1. Therefore, USB 3.0 is the same thing as USB 3.1 Gen 1.

USB-IF, the organisation responsible for maintaining USB (Universal Serial Bus) specifications and compliance, did this to make it easier for developers and manufacturers to have the same relevant information, to help ensure products are properly developed to be backwards compatible. This organisation is responsible for the naming conventions found on USB cables and devices.

USB 3.1 Gen 1 vs USB 3.1 Gen 2

The difference between USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.1 Gen 2 is only in terms of speed. USB 3.1 Gen 1 supports speeds of up to 5Gbit/s, while USB 3.1 Gen 2 supports speeds of up to 10Gbit/s. The USB-IF originally planned to use a set of different names for USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.1 Gen 2 for marketing purposes. They wanted to name USB 3.1 Gen 1 “SuperSpeed USB” and and Gen 2 “SuperSpeed USB+”, but the industry never caught on. Often, OEMs will add the speeds of 5Gbps or 10Gbps to their spec tables in order to differentiate between the two USB standards. The rest of the industry simply refers to them as “USB 3.1 Gen 1” or “USB 3.1 Gen 2”.

Arrival of USB 3.2

Since then, USB technology has advanced even further with USB 3.2 arriving in 2017. There are four different variations of USB 3.2 with their own special names and meanings. Four variations of USB 3.2 are:

	USB 3.2 Gen 1x1	USB 3.2 Gen 1x2	USB 3.2 Gen 2x1	USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
Transfer Speed	5Gbps	10Gbps	10Gbps	20Gbps
Previously Known As	USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.0	--	USB 3.1 Gen 2	--
Interface Options	USB-A, USB-C, microUSB	USB-C Only	USB-A, USB-C, microUSB	USB-C Only

With the arrival of USB 3.2, the industry-dominant USB-A connection was beginning to be phased out in favour of USB-C. Since USB-C supports higher data transfer speeds and can charge other peripheral devices faster, it has naturally become the main USB connector utilising USB 3.2 Gen 2. What does x2 mean? If a device has this designation, it uses two of the available data lanes. Learn more about USB 3.2 Gen 2x2.

Thunderbolt™ is the brand name of the hardware interface developed by Intel® in collaboration with Apple® and it connects peripheral devices to a computer. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 use the same connector as Mini DisplayPort (MDP), whereas Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB-C connecter.

USB4 is Next

Android phone with a USB-C flash drive connected sitting on a laptop keyboard

The next advancement in USB technology will be USB4. It will offer 40Gbit/s data transfer speeds, Thunderbolt 3 compatibility and will use only the USB-C connector. USB4 aims to increase bandwidth and is focused on converging the USB-C connector ecosystem and minimising end-user confusion.

Several key designs of the USB4 include:

Display, data and load/store functionality with the use of a single USB-C connector
Universally compatible with existing USB and Thunderbolt products
Define port capabilities for predictable and consistent user experience
Increase host flexibility to configure bandwidth, power management and other performance-related parameters for system needs

USB came a long way from when it was first introduced and will continue to advance in the future. When it comes to USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2, the only difference is speed and they're backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. In the future, with newer generations of USB standards and the arrival of USB-C, there will be even better improvements.

#KingstonIsWithYou

XS2000 External Solid State Drive (SSD)
Pocket-sized portability

USB 3.2 Gen 2x2

500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

Up to 2,000MB/s read, 2,000MB/s write
Learn more Buy

What is USB 3.2 Gen 2x2?

It’s a multi-lane operation for new hosts and devices using the USB-C^® connector.
USB-C explained

USB-C is a small, slim connector. Its symmetrical and reversible shape is what make it popular.
How to format a USB flash drive

We explain how to format a USB flash drive in Windows and on a Mac OS 10+.
Understanding file systems

What is a file system? Here are some of the most used systems and their pros and cons.
External storage for Xbox

Which storage drives work best for the Xbox Series S/X? A consideration of storage pros and cons.
The best storage options for gaming consoles

This article will look at some of the best storage options available for your gaming console.
Choosing storage for your Android device

First, look for Class A1 or Class A2 markings. As for capacity, microSD cards can hold up to 512GB of storage.
A Kingston gift guide for STEAM students

Here are some tech gift ideas for the STEAM students in your life.
The Kingston Workflow Station makes things easy for content creators and video professionals

Learn how the Kingston Workflow Station can make file transfers out in the field faster for professionals.
Difference between SLC, MLC, TLC and 3D NAND in USB flash drives, SSDs and Memory cards

Are there endurance vs cost benefits between the different types of NAND?
How to use a USB flash drive on Windows PC

Learn how to find the drive in Windows Explorer, open files, and copy files to and from a USB flash drive on Windows 10.
Using a USB Drive on a Mac

We go over how to use a USB drive, thumb drive, flash drive, pendrive, etc. on a Mac computer.
Custom logos and content for USB flash drives and cards

We customize bulk orders of USB drives, SD/CF cards with your content, colour logo on plastic, laser etching on metal.
USB OTG Flash Drives - DataTraveler MicroDuo

OTG drives function just like a standard Flash drive and are easier and more convenient than using cloud services.
Major recent example of an unencrypted USB breach

Heathrow Airport in London (30 October 2017) uses unencrypted USB drives for its non-cloud storage. Unfortunately, it was not standardized on encrypted USB drives.