Yes. The "IF" in "USB-IF" stands for implementers forum, it is a consortium of hardware companies who make devices. It's preferable to them if they can slap "USB 3.2 support!" on the box without having to redo their boards with a new, expensive component.
In other words, the incentives here are for USB-IF to promote customer confusion, not to reduce it, because that confusion can sell devices and push profit margins.
It's absolutely terrible that the EU is giving this group a legal monopoly on the ability to create and proliferate new standards. Their incentives fundamentally run against the consumer and they have repeatedly acted against the interests of the consumer. Unlike HDMI, there is no VESA to counterbalance them, it is USB or nothing, so you'll have to deal with these crappy standards going forward.
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HDMI is doing something similar now too - "HDMI 2.1" is a completely hollow standard where every single feature and signaling mode added since HDMI 2.0 is completely optional. You can take HDMI 2.0 hardware and get it recertified as HDMI 2.1 without any changes - actually you must do this since HDMI Forum is not issuing HDMI 2.0 certifications any more, only HDMI 2.1 going forward, the new standard "supercedes" the old one entirely.
So - "HDMI 2.1" on the box doesn't mean 4K120 support, it doesn't mean VRR support, it doesn't mean HDR support. It could actually just literally be HDMI 2.0 hardware inside. You need to look for specific feature keywords if that is your goal.
In other words, the incentives here are for USB-IF to promote customer confusion, not to reduce it, because that confusion can sell devices and push profit margins.
It's absolutely terrible that the EU is giving this group a legal monopoly on the ability to create and proliferate new standards. Their incentives fundamentally run against the consumer and they have repeatedly acted against the interests of the consumer. Unlike HDMI, there is no VESA to counterbalance them, it is USB or nothing, so you'll have to deal with these crappy standards going forward.
--
HDMI is doing something similar now too - "HDMI 2.1" is a completely hollow standard where every single feature and signaling mode added since HDMI 2.0 is completely optional. You can take HDMI 2.0 hardware and get it recertified as HDMI 2.1 without any changes - actually you must do this since HDMI Forum is not issuing HDMI 2.0 certifications any more, only HDMI 2.1 going forward, the new standard "supercedes" the old one entirely.
So - "HDMI 2.1" on the box doesn't mean 4K120 support, it doesn't mean VRR support, it doesn't mean HDR support. It could actually just literally be HDMI 2.0 hardware inside. You need to look for specific feature keywords if that is your goal.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/12/the-hdmi-forum-follo...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo9Y7AMPn00