NVIDIA is preparing for new driver support for the "Rubin" architecture GPU to be launched in 2026. It is reported that "Rubin", which inherits the "Blackwell" architecture, has introduced a new identification register called BOOT_42 in the recent driver patch.
The patch was released to the public later on Friday. In a note by NVIDIA engineer John Hubbard, he mentioned that the architecture and revision metadata will be switched from the original NV_PMC_BOOT_0 to NV_PMC_BOOT_42, and the original boot register BOOT_0 will be cleared.
These updates have been submitted to the Nova kernel driver branch, which is the public platform for this early development work. The patch adjusts the detection logic so that the driver can identify devices from the Turing architecture to subsequent GPUs through the new register format. At the same time, the patch also adds documentation to explain the evolution of BOOT_0 and BOOT_42 in different GPU generations, and removes some legacy types such as Spec and Revision. In this regard, developers pointed out that this simplification will help improve future support for boot42 and eliminate the need for cumbersome intergenerational adjustments when a new generation of chips is launched.
Currently, product lines from Turing to Blackwell will still use BOOT_0 for identification, while future chips after Blackwell will independently use BOOT_42. This change is intended to optimize the driver support process, shorten the time difference between new hardware release and software adaptation, ensure that Rubin GPU can achieve driver synchronization during mass production in the second half of 2026, and promote rapid product launch.
