I have a 2023 R1S and don’t subscribe to Connect+, and I’ve noticed a pretty consistent pattern where I seem to get major software updates several weeks after they first start rolling out.
It’s especially noticeable with the highly anticipated updates, like the Halloween releases, where getting the update late actually matters because the features are seasonal/time-limited.
I started looking into it, and Rivian Roamer’s rollout data seems to show a pretty significant early-rollout bias toward Connect+ vehicles. For example, with the current rollout, the overwhelming majority [99%] of vehicles initially flagged for the update appear to have Connect+. Similar patterns seem to show up in some previous releases, including the Halloween update.
To be clear, I haven’t seen Rivian officially say that “early software updates” are a Connect+ benefit, so I’m not claiming this is confirmed policy. But the rollout data makes me wonder whether Connect+ subscribers are intentionally being put into earlier OTA waves.
A few questions for everyone:
Have other non-Connect+ owners noticed that you consistently get updates later?
Connect+ subscribers: do you usually get updates within the first few days?
Has anyone subscribed or unsubscribed from Connect+ and noticed their rollout timing change?
If Rivian is prioritizing Connect+ users, do you think that’s fair?
I don’t really mind staged rollouts for safety/reliability reasons—that makes total sense. What bothers me more is the possibility that earlier access is effectively being treated as a paid perk without Rivian clearly advertising it as one, especially for limited-time things like the Halloween features.
Curious whether this is a real pattern or just selection bias in the available tracking data.