AMD discontinues 32-bit support for their Radeon Software/Drivers
AMD discontinues 32-bit support for their Radeon Software/Drivers
At the time, AMD’s motives behind this change were unclear, as this release acted as the launch driver for Windows 10’s October 2018 update, making it somewhat logical that support would be constrained, given the complexities of the new OS iteration. It was far too early to conclude that AMD had dropped support for 32-bit operating systems, at least without official confirmation.Â
4gamer has managed to get a response from AMD regarding their support for legacy 32-bit operating systems, confirming that future releases of Radeon Software will not support 32-bit OS’, a change which will allow AMD to push more engineering resources into improving their driver’s functionality while adding new features.Â
  AMD Radeon Software support for Windows operating system has been moved to a legacy support mode – we are not planning to support x32-bit Windows operating systems in future driver releases.
This change enables AMD to dedicate valuable engineering resources to Developing New Features and Enhancements for Graphics Products Based on the Latest X64-Bit Windows Based Operating Systems.Â
This change cannot be seen as anything other than a positive step for AMD, as 32-bit operating systems are no longer supported by most modern gaming applications, most of which require more DRAM than 32-bit operating systems are capable of handling.Â
Dropping support for 32-bit will also free up more engineering and QA time that can be used to focus on other aspects of AMD’s upcoming Radeon Software releases, allowing this change to benefit users of modern operating systems.Â
AMD typically releases an overhauled version of their Radeon Software drivers on a yearly basis, with the last major update coming with “Adrenalin”, which replaced “Crimson ReLive”. A new version of AMD’s Radeon Software drivers is expected to release in the near future, likely between now and December.Â
You can join the discussion on AMD dropping support for 32-bit operating systems with future Radeon Software releases on the OC3D Forums.Â