From The Duke of Middleville.

Rivian just dropped Update 2026.03 and my Generation 1 Rivian R1S finally got the feature I’ve been waiting for: LAUNCH CONTROL.

This is a big deal because Launch Control was previously tied to higher-performance configurations like the Tri-Motor and Quad-Motor, and I’m driving a Quad Motor Gen 1 R1S—so I’m breaking down what changed, how it works, and why this update makes the Gen 1 R1S feel even more special.

I’m also covering the Unreal Engine 5.5 graphics upgrade coming to Gen 1. It definitely improves the visuals and overall UI feel, but I’ll explain why it still isn’t as sharp as Gen 2—mainly because Gen 2 has better cameras and updated radar hardware, which helps the vehicle rendering and on-screen clarity.

If you own a Gen 1 R1S, are shopping used Rivians, or you just follow Rivian OTA updates, this one is worth watching.

✅ In this video
Gen 1 R1S Launch Control overview
How 2026.03 changes Gen 1 performance vibes
Unreal Engine 5.5 on Gen 1 vs Gen 2 differences
My take: is this the best Gen 1 update so far?

Drop a comment: Are you actually going to use Launch Control, or is this just a “nice to have”?
And if this helped—like, subscribe, and I’ll keep testing every Rivian update on real vehicles.

#Rivian #RivianR1S #Gen1R1S #RivianUpdate #Rivian2026_03 #LaunchControl #UnrealEngine55 #EV #ElectricSUV #QuadMotor #OTAUpdate #RivianSoftwareUpdate