Nvidia to End GeForce 10-Series Driver Support on Windows 10
If your gaming PC was last updated in 2016 or earlier, Nvidia has a significant update. The company will stop providing Game Ready driver updates for its Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta GPU architectures after October 2025. Consequently, popular graphics cards like the GeForce GTX 1060 from the GTX 900 and 10-series will no longer receive optimizations for newer games starting this fall.
However, this doesn’t mean complete abandonment. While performance updates will cease, Nvidia will continue releasing quarterly security patches for these GPUs until October 2028. These updates aim to keep users protected from vulnerabilities, even if performance enhancements are no longer included. So, users playing lighter games such as Minecraft or Roblox on older machines will still maintain essential security.
This move follows earlier signs from Nvidia, as it had already declared these GPU architectures “feature complete” in January. That decision hinted that the end of broader support was near.
Windows 10 Driver Support to End in 2026
Alongside ending support for older GPUs, Nvidia will also discontinue all driver updates for Windows 10 in October 2026. This date is one year beyond Microsoft’s own cutoff, accounting for users who take advantage of the free extended security updates (ESUs).
To continue receiving Nvidia driver updates beyond that date, users must upgrade to Windows 11. Even newer GPU models in the RTX 40- and 50-series will not be supported on Windows 10 after October 2026. As a result, maintaining optimal performance and compatibility with upcoming software will require upgrading the operating system.
A Shift Toward Newer Platforms
The shift away from older GPUs and Windows 10 reflects Nvidia’s focus on supporting modern platforms. Although many users still rely on older systems, the company is aligning its driver support with current software trends. According to recent surveys, Windows 10 remains in use on more than one-third of gaming PCs, but its share is declining steadily.
As Windows 11 adoption increases, especially with the promotion of newer Copilot+ PCs, support for legacy platforms is being phased out. Therefore, for gamers and creators alike, upgrading hardware and operating systems will become more necessary in the near future.
