It's time for USB-A to retire, plain and simple. For nearly 30 years, USB-A has taken center stage, but I'm ready for USB-C to become the only port I have on my desktop computer.
USB-A ruled the roost for almost 30 years
USB-A wasThe gold standard for USB connections since the year I was born, and this is an excellent standard. It has gone through many iterations, from data transfer speeds of just 1.5 Mbps using USB 1.0 to 10 Gbps using USB 3.2 Gen 2 (or 20 Gbps using USB 3.2 Gen 2×2).
With USB-A, the computing world wouldn't be what it is today, but as with other connectivity standards (Micro USB), it's time to move on. USB-A is still the standard for USB connections in 2025, almost 30 years after its creation, and it's time to move on.
Micro USB was introduced in 2007, more than 10 years after USB-A was introduced to the market. USB-C became a standard in 2014 and received official mass market adoption in 2016, less than a decade after the release of Micro USB.
Don't get me wrong, USB-A is currently relatively easy to use and cheap to make. However, I'm tired of looking at my cable and port when I'm about to connect something. I'm ready to embrace a reversible (and more powerful) future. I'm ready for USB-C in everything.
While USB-C is best suited for laptops, it is also great for desktop computers.
USB-C was originally introduced on smartphones where space is at a premium. Initially, I considered this standard as a replacement for Micro USB – such as it was.
However, in 2016, Apple released an updated MacBook Pro line with only USB-C, marking the port's first mainstream adoption in a mainstream product line. These days, it's harder to find a laptop with USB-A ports than one with USB-C.
The fact is that USB-C is ideal for phones and laptops. These devices are thin and space is limited, so a smaller connection standard is an easy choice. However, this is not the only place where we need USB-C.
I can't tell you how many USB-C to USB-A cables I need to run my desktop. My webcam is USB-C, as is my keyboard, a 2.4GHz gaming headset adapter, a 2.4GHz gaming mouse adapter, and a few other peripherals on my desk.
The problem is that most desktop computers have one to two USB-C ports, and there's another one on the front I/O panel (if there is one). Because of this, I'm either stuck using a bunch of USB-C to USB-A cables or purchasing USB hubs that give me the ability to use more than one USB-C port.
Why should desktop computers have more USB-C ports? First, USB-C can provide much faster data transfer speeds—up to 120 Gbps. Thunderbolt 5 and 40Gbit/s at the current USB4 standard (although USB4 2.0 promises data transfer speeds of 80 Gbps).
USB-C is also capable of handling video signals, which means you can connect a monitor via USB-C—something USB-A will never be able to do. Oh, and need I mention that USB-C is reversible?! Thanks to the USB-C cable, I don't have to worry about which direction the cable is facing to connect it.
I'm ready to ditch USB-A and go full USB-C
USB-A has worked well, I give it credit. Any technological standard that remains at the forefront of the race for almost three decades deserves all the applause. But it's time to step aside, granddaddy of USB-A, and let young USB-C take center stage.
I get it, USB-A is the gold standard and is what most older peripherals still use. I'm not saying delete All USB-A ports from every motherboard on the market. Just give me the option to buy a motherboard with more USB-C ports than USB-A, that's all I ask – for now. After all, I really want USB-C to be the only port on my motherboard (and my graphics card, but that's a story for another time).
Some people may complain that The USB-C specification is full of confusion– and I disagree. However, USB-A suffered the same fate. There are USB-A 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.1 Gen 2, 3.2, 3.2 Gen 1, 3.2 Gen 2, 3.2 Gen 2×2, and some that are powered only by the power supply. If USB-A can be a standard with all this confusion, then USB-C can be a standard with just as much confusion.
USB-C is better than USB-A in every way. I've already covered a lot of things, but one thing I haven't mentioned is power. USB-C can (currently) carry up to 240W of power (in addition to data) over a single cable. Imagine a slim form factor desktop with a remote USB-C dock that powered your desktop and handled all your I/O. Instead of reaching to the back of a desktop, you connect to a remote hub that also powers that desktop.
Less cable clutter, more features and a reversible plug. I'm ready for USB-A to retire and let USB-C take center stage.
