### AMD Reverses Course: Radeon 5000 & 6000 GPUs Are Getting Day-One Game Updates Again

There’s a unique frustration for PC gamers: waking up on the launch day of a highly anticipated title, only to find that your graphics card drivers aren’t optimized for it. For owners of AMD’s still-powerful Radeon RX 5000 and RX 6000 series GPUs, this frustration was recently becoming a policy, not an accident. But after a significant community outcry, AMD has listened and reversed its decision.

#### The Controversy: A Two-Tiered System

Just a short while ago, it became apparent that AMD had split its driver support into two distinct branches. The new, shiny RDNA 3 architecture, powering the RX 7000 series cards, was getting all the attention. This “main” branch received frequent updates, including the crucial day-one performance optimizations and bug fixes for major new game releases.

Meanwhile, the RDNA 1 (RX 5000 series) and RDNA 2 (RX 6000 series) cards were relegated to a separate, less frequent update schedule. This effectively meant that millions of gamers with perfectly capable hardware were being left behind, missing out on the immediate performance boosts that can make or break a launch day experience.

The message, intended or not, felt clear to the community: if you want the best support, you need the latest hardware. This was a tough pill to swallow for users who had invested in what were, until very recently, high-end and flagship graphics cards.

#### The Community Erupted

The backlash was swift and loud. Gamers took to forums like Reddit, social media, and YouTube comment sections to voice their anger. The arguments were compelling: The RX 6000 series, in particular, is still being sold new and remains a fantastic performance-per-dollar option. To treat it as “legacy” hardware so soon after its release felt like a betrayal of customer loyalty and a form of planned obsolescence.

For many, it undermined the value proposition of their purchase. Why buy a powerful GPU if its manufacturer was going to prematurely cut off the vital software support that allows it to shine in new games?

#### AMD Listens: A Unified Driver for All

In a move that shows the power of community feedback, AMD has completely walked back this policy. In a statement that brought a collective sigh of relief from Radeon owners, AMD’s Chief Architect of Gaming Solutions & Marketing, Frank Azor, confirmed the change.

Going forward, AMD will return to a unified driver package. This means that supported RDNA 1, RDNA 2, and RDNA 3 graphics cards will all receive the same driver updates at the same time.

When a new driver with optimizations for a blockbuster game is released, owners of an RX 5700 XT or an RX 6800 will get it on the same day as someone with a brand new RX 7900 XTX. The two-tiered system is gone.

This is a massive win for consumers. It restores faith in the longevity of AMD products and reassures current and potential buyers that their investment will be supported for a reasonable lifespan. It’s a textbook example of a company listening to its user base and making the right call, even if it meant admitting the initial strategy was a mistake. For Radeon gamers everywhere, launch day just got a lot less stressful.