Pi5 - /dev/pio0 doesn't exist unless firmware is updated as well

[DroidFreak32]

# sudo rpi-eeprom-update
BOOTLOADER: up to date
   CURRENT: Thu May  8 02:13:17 PM UTC 2025 (1746713597)
    LATEST: Thu May  8 02:13:17 PM UTC 2025 (1746713597)
   RELEASE: latest (/usr/lib/firmware/raspberrypi/bootloader-2712/latest)
            Use raspi-config to change the release.

All the dependencies were installed in a virtualenv (as root)

Successfully installed Adafruit-Circuitpython-ConnectionManager-3.1.3 Adafruit-PlatformDetect-3.78.0 Adafruit-PureIO-1.1.11 adafruit-blinka-8.57.0 adafruit-circuitpython-busdevice-5.2.11 adafruit-circuitpython-requests-4.1.10 adafruit-circuitpython-typing-1.11.2 binho-host-adapter-0.1.6 pyftdi-0.56.0 pyserial-3.5 pyusb-1.3.1 sysv_ipc-1.1.0 typing_extensions-4.13.2

Even tried the raspi-blinka.py script for the automated install, rebooted, but no luck.

Then I found rpi-update command and ran it:

##############################################################
WARNING: This update bumps to rpi-6.12.y linux tree
See discussions at:
https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=379745
##############################################################
Would you like to proceed? (y/N)
Downloading bootloader tools

Downloading bootloader images
 *** Downloading specific firmware revision (this will take a few minutes)
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0
100  152M  100  152M    0     0  14.4M      0  0:00:10  0:00:10 --:--:-- 19.0M
BOOTLOADER: up to date
   CURRENT: Thu May  8 02:13:17 PM UTC 2025 (1746713597)
    LATEST: Thu May  8 02:13:17 PM UTC 2025 (1746713597)
   RELEASE: latest (/usr/lib/firmware/raspberrypi/bootloader-2712/latest)
            Use raspi-config to change the release.
 *** Updating firmware
 *** Updating kernel modules
 *** depmod 6.12.27-v8+
 *** depmod 6.12.27-v8-16k+
 *** Updating VideoCore libraries
 *** Running ldconfig
 *** Storing current firmware revision
 *** Deleting downloaded files
 *** Syncing changes to disk
 *** If no errors appeared, your firmware was successfully updated to f54e67fef6e726725d3a8f56d232194497bd247c
 *** A reboot is needed to activate the new firmware

After a reboot, I finally see /dev/pio0

crw-rw---- 1 root gpio 234, 0 May 10 06:39 /dev/pio0