Which Redshift Version Do You Need for RTX 5090?

Redshift 2025.5.0 and later officially supports the RTX 5090. Before that, Maxon offered experimental builds with preliminary Blackwell support starting from Redshift 2025.2.2, and it lists NVIDIA driver 572.16 as the minimum. Older builds do not run slower on this card. They fail to detect it at all, so Redshift reports no usable GPU even with a 5090 installed in the machine. Maxon states that experimental builds are meant for testing and may not reach the stability or performance of a production release, so client work belongs on an official build. If you rent a machine with an RTX 5090, you should check your Redshift version before the billing clock starts.

Which Redshift Versions Recognize the RTX 5090

Image Source: Maxon

Maxon keeps a support article on exactly this problem, titled Redshift Doesn’t Recognize my 5000+ series GPU. On June 18, 2025, Maxon updated it to announce official Blackwell support from Redshift 2025.5.0. The versions fall into three ranges.

Redshift version	Status with RTX 5090	Use it for
Before 2025.2.2	Card not recognized	Nothing on a Blackwell GPU
2025.2.2 up to 2025.5.0 (experimental builds only)	Experimental, preliminary support	Testing, not production
2025.5.0 and later	Official support	Production work

Driver: Maxon lists NVIDIA driver 572.16 as the minimum for Blackwell support in Redshift.

Experimental vs Official

Maxon released experimental builds alongside each official Redshift release until full Blackwell support was merged into the main line with 2025.5.0. Its support page states that these builds are intended for testing and may not offer final production stability or performance.

For any sequence going to a client, use an official build. An experimental build still has a place in evaluation: a pipeline pinned to a release between 2025.2.2 and 2025.5.0, where you want to see how a Blackwell card handles your scenes before buying or renting one for a project.

A Pre-Flight Check Before You Start the Clock

• Identify the card. Confirm whether the machine carries an RTX 5090 or an RTX 4090. The version table above applies to the 5090 and other Blackwell cards.
• Check the installed Redshift version and match it against the table.
• Check the NVIDIA driver version. Running nvidia-smi in a command prompt shows it. It needs to be 572.16 or newer.
• Open Redshift and confirm the GPU appears in the device list, with the correct card name.
• Render one short test frame before you submit the whole sequence.

A Cloud RTX 5090 Option for Redshift

iRender currently offers a single RTX 5090 with 32GB of GDDR7 alongside RTX 4090 configurations of up to eight cards, billed by the minute, so you can put your scenes on a Blackwell card without buying one. Multi-card RTX 5090 configurations are in preparation.

However, one machine with the right card still needs the right software. iRender runs an IaaS model, so the Redshift build on the machine is yours to install, and if you bring an old version to a rented 5090, the card sits idle while the clock keeps running until you notice. Check the version before you press render, and see how iRender pricing works for the billing details.

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FAQ

Which Redshift version supports RTX 5090?

Redshift 2025.5.0 and later officially supports the RTX 5090 and the rest of NVIDIA’s Blackwell 5000 series, as Maxon announced on June 18, 2025. From Redshift 2025.2.2, Maxon also released experimental builds with preliminary Blackwell support, published next to each official release until full support arrived. Maxon lists NVIDIA driver 572.16 as the minimum.

Why does Redshift not recognize my RTX 5090?

Your installed Redshift version most likely predates Blackwell support. Builds older than 2025.2.2 cannot detect the card. 

Should I use the experimental Redshift build for Blackwell GPUs?

Only for testing. Maxon states that its experimental builds are intended for testing and may not offer final production stability or performance. 

See more: Karma XPU on Cloud GPU for VFX Sequences