Apples and oranges. My classic, non-real-ID drivers license in VIrginia has the same identifying capability as real ID. It's a "your papers please" item whether it's an old drivers license, a new real iD license, or any other identifying document.
On the face of it - yeah - but the backend is different. RealID certification links your “state ID” with your address and name to your SSN in a federal database.
Before this all states (and sometimes just the county and not even the state) held that information in wholly separate records collections with varying levels of validation.
That’s why you can’t fly without “RealID”