Rivian Matrix Headlights: What They Are and How to Tell If You Have Them [VIDEO]

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Rivian has recently added support for matrix headlights in their vehicles, letting the vehicle’s headlights adapt to road environments and keeping high beams on longer without blinding other vehicles.

Matrix headlights are headlights composed of a matrix of LED lights, which can be turned off and on at a software level. This enables a vehicle to instantly adapt the headlight beam to suit the road ahead. This lets the vehicle keep its high beams on for certain parts of the road and darker them or turn them off completely for other regions of the road that may include a person or oncoming vehicle. This drastically increases safety by illuminating the road better for the driver while also reducing bright lights or glare for other vehicles.

Since 2022, the U.S. has allowed manufacturers to include adaptive headlights that adapt to other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and road conditions in their vehicles.

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Matrix Headlights Requirements

In August 2024, Rivian enabled its matrix headlights with software update 2024.27.30. This is only applicable to Rivian Gen 2 vehicles with matrix headlights, model years 2025 and later.

Several vehicle manufacturers include matrix headlights, but manufacturers have only recently started enabling them after NHTSA’s 2022 ruling. In Canada, adaptive headlights have been allowed since 2018.

How to Tell if You Have Matrix Headlights

Rivian’s matrix headlights are available on their Gen 2 vehicles. Sadly, Gen 1 vehicles do not have Matrix headlights installed, even though they look similar. You can tell Gen 1 and Gen 2 vehicles apart in a few ways.

First enabled Matrix headlights in the US! Quite the accomplishment from @Rivian soooo cool! pic.twitter.com/SltxdbpYqD

— Chris Glazebrook (@aethervisor) August 16, 2024

Gen 2 vehicles are model year 2025 and newer – Gen 1 vehicles are model year 2024 and older – which makes the process straightforward. Other ways to tell the vehicles apart is by opening up either of the front doors and looking at the top of the B-pillar. Gen 1 vehicles have a Rivian logo stamped onto the metal pillar.

Gen 2 vehicles also have a different light bar in front of the vehicle. Instead of being flat from one side of the vehicle to the other, there’s an indentation at the bottom, which allows the vehicle to show its state of charge.

You can also go to the Vehicle Info tab in the vehicle and check the vehicle’s model year.

Matrix Headlights in Action

Take a look at these videos from @murphybre96 and @aethervisor on X to see the new Matrix Headlights in action. Pay attention to how the lit area of the road changes as the vehicle drives along and encounters other vehicles. The transitions are smooth and help prevent blinding other drivers and while also brightening the road for the driver. It’s an amazing system and one of the big additions Rivian added to their Gen 2 vehicles.

The @Rivian R1S matrix headlights are SO cool! They make driving at night so much fun! Watch as the headlights follow my steering patterns. I love driving this car at night! The ambient lighting around the car is so cool as well! Well done Rivian! pic.twitter.com/N5oc0P554Q

— murphybre (@murphybre96) September 11, 2024

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Rivian's Cel-Shaded Design and How to View a Subtle 3D Effect

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With update 2024.19.04, Rivian introduced a striking visual overhaul to its vehicle software, featuring a completely new cel-shaded design for its vehicles. Moving away from realistic models, Rivian embraced a bold, anime-inspired aesthetic known as cel-shading, offering a fresh and dynamic look.

The cel-shaded 3D models come to life with stunning animations as you switch between drive modes, adding a stylish, artistic flair to the interface. The result is a visually captivating and modern experience.

Vehicle Mode Animations

When you change your vehicle mode, the background artwork and animations adapt to match. While parked, you can even touch the screen with two fingers to move the model slightly, creating a subtle 3D effect.

Each mode has its own unique animations. In Conserve mode, windmills spin in the background, while in Rally and Drift modes, dirt and dust fly up from your Rivian's tires. In Sport mode, you'll notice speed lines near the rear of the vehicle as it races along a virtual track.

You can view the subtle animation with a two-finger drag in the video below:

Time of Day Effects

The time of day also affects the UI, with the moon rising at night and the sun shining during the day, adding an extra layer of immersion.

Rivian has truly nailed this update, delivering a smooth, responsive, and visually impressive experience. It's easily one of the best vehicle UIs available today.

Rivian's Sport Mode

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First Look at Rivian's 'Gear Guard Live Cam' Feature Coming Soon in Update 2024.35

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Rivian is preparing to launch a highly anticipated feature in its upcoming 2024.35 vehicle software update: the Gear Guard Live Cam. This new addition will give Rivian owners more control over their vehicle's security, allowing them to view live camera feeds directly from the Rivian app.

While the 2024.35 update has yet to go out, it's expected to roll out in the coming weeks. Yesterday, Rivian added Live Cam support to its latest app update (v2.14).

Gear Guard Live Cam Features

We were lucky enough to get our hands on a couple of tutorial images from the app update that reveals how the feature will work. When you launch Gear Guard Live Cam, you'll see a single feed from one of the vehicle's cameras. Beneath the video, users can easily switch between the camera view by tapping an arrow that’s overlaid on top of the vehicle's image. For the R1S, you’ll have four options, including the front camera, side-view cameras, and rear camera. While R1T owners will also have access to the truck’s bed camera, located at the center of the camera controls.

The interface also features two buttons at the bottom of the screen. One allows users to switch to full-screen video for a more detailed view, and the other appears that it will be used to trigger an alarm or special alert to warn individuals near the vehicle.

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Requirements

In order to use Rivian’s new Gear Guard Live Cam, you’ll need several things. The good news is that the feature will be available on Gen 1 and Gen 2 vehicles, so they’re all included. Even if you have the latest app update, your vehicle will still need to have update 2024.35 for the feature to show up in your app.

The Gear Guard Live Cam will also require a subscription to Rivian's Connect+ plan, which costs $14.99 per month, or $149.99 per year. However, new vehicle purchases come with a free trial, and Rivian recently offered two months free when Connect+ was launched last month. We expect this feature to become available to most owners before the free trial runs out so that they can experience it for free.

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