A recent development in the gaming world has left some players feeling frustrated and confused. NVIDIA's new Game Ready drivers seem to have broken compatibility with older Forza titles, causing an unexpected issue for fans of these classic racing games.
According to reports from the GeForce forum, the latest NVIDIA drivers, specifically versions 581.80 WHQL and 581.57, are causing problems for players of Forza Motorsport 6 Apex, Forza Motorsport 7, and Forza Horizon 3. Users are encountering an error message (AP204) stating their GPU is incompatible, even with powerful new hardware like the GeForce RTX 5090. This is a surprising turn of events, as these games should be well within the capabilities of modern GPUs.
An NVIDIA representative, Manuel Guzman, acknowledged the issue and confirmed that it can be reproduced internally. He mentioned that the team will investigate potential solutions, but also cautioned that a fix is not guaranteed. This suggests that the problem might lie within the games' internal checks, which are beyond NVIDIA's direct control.
It's worth noting that these Forza titles are not exactly new releases; they haven't received updates for several years. The last patch for Forza Motorsport 6 Apex was in 2016, Forza Horizon 3 in 2018, and Forza Motorsport 7 in 2019. So, it's unlikely that we'll see new game patches to address this driver-related issue.
For now, players who still enjoy these older Forza games and encounter the AP204 error may need to stick with older drivers, like version 576.88 or earlier, to ensure smooth gameplay. Those who don't rely on these specific titles can proceed with the new Game Ready 581.80 WHQL release without any issues.
But here's where it gets controversial: should game developers be responsible for ensuring their older titles remain compatible with new hardware and drivers? Or is it the hardware manufacturers' duty to maintain compatibility with older games? And what about players who have invested significant time and money into these games? These are questions that the gaming community will likely debate for some time.
So, what do you think? Is this a fair expectation for game developers or hardware manufacturers? Should players be more proactive in keeping their games up-to-date, or is it the responsibility of the companies to ensure their products remain compatible over time? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
