Rivian rolls out RivianOS 2 unifying R1 and R2 software — SkimNews
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- Rivian rolled out RivianOS 2 (version 2026.31), its biggest in-car software overhaul since the R1 first shipped, putting first-gen R1, second-gen R1, and R2 vehicles on a single software stack
- RivianOS 2 uses Unreal Engine 5 for real-time 3D visualizations on the R2 and Gen 2 R1, while Gen 1 R1s stay on Unreal Engine 4 to keep screens responsive on older computing hardware
- Navigation now includes Real-Time Route Alerts folding police and speed-camera data into Google Maps, sourced from local authorities, third-party sources, and community contributions — a Waze-style approach
- Connect+ subscription ($14.99/month or $149.99/year) gates two new features: a dedicated weather app with air quality and 10-day forecast, and Mobile Live Trips for managing active trips from the Rivian phone app
- Rivian Unified Intelligence underpins the update, powering the "Hey Rivian" voice assistant with hybrid edge compute for low-latency processing on R2 and Gen 2 R1, plus expanded cloud-assisted voice for Gen 1 owners
- Interface changes span a rebuilt "Settings 2" menu with universal search, a vertical status bar, and quick controls/media player that can be placed on either side of the display
- Data controls let owners toggle hotword wake-words, limit location sharing, and adjust driver-profile data retention across all vehicle generations
Why it matters: The R2 is Rivian's volume play in a price range where buyers compare it to gas-powered rivals, so software polish is now existential rather than cosmetic — unifying the stack across Gen 1 R1, Gen 2 R1, and R2 means every vehicle benefits from the same feature pipeline, but older R1 owners are kept on Unreal Engine 4 and miss the visual upgrade.
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