Thanks to reporting from DCInside, we may have just received confirmation that AMD is stopping updates for the Z1 Extreme chipset. The chip powers devices such as the Lenovo Legion Go, Legion Go S, ASUS ROG Ally, and ROG Ally X.
Perhaps more notably, the Legion Go S only debuted last year (see our non-Extreme review). If support is indeed winding down, that could leave many owners disappointed, especially those who invested in the device expecting longer-term driver updates.
Is AMD ending support, or is this an OEM decision?
Lenovo Korea has reportedly stated that no further driver updates are planned for the original Legion Go. The support response specifically claims that AMD has ended driver support for the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, with some users even reporting they are stuck on older drivers.
Typically, AMD provides drivers to OEMs such as Lenovo or ASUS for validation and release. Without an official statement from AMD, it remains unclear whether this situation extends beyond Lenovo devices, though it is a reasonable concern.
Lenovo has also advised against installing Legion Go S drivers on the original Legion Go, even if the newer device continues to receive updates. Cross-installing drivers is not supported.
For users who want to stay updated, Lenovo recommends using Windows Update or AMD’s universal graphics drivers, where compatible.
ASUS has not commented on the situation, which is to be expected as this pertains to Lenovo.
Users who have Z2-based devices should not have to worry yet either, as they will continue to receive updates.
It does not sit well to see a device potentially reaching the end of support this quickly, especially when the Z1 Extreme remains a capable chipset. Legion Go owners have already raised concerns about slow driver rollouts, and if updates are truly ending, that frustration is unlikely to ease.
Whilst they are specifically discussing the Lenovo Legion Go here, which is only two and a half years old, mind you, it doesn’t give much confidence in support for other Z1 Extreme devices and even Z2 Extreme in the long term.
How do you feel about Z1 Extreme possibly nearing end of life support?
Are you using a Legion Go or another Ryzen Z1 Extreme device? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure you take part in our poll below:
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
