LightHouse 5 for Axiom 2 is here: these are the main news

Digital Skipper |26/09, 2026

Raymarine has released LightHouse 5 , the next generation of the operating system for Axiom 2 , Axiom 2 Pro and Axiom 2 XL . The update is significantly more comprehensive than a typical service release and includes new features, improved system data management and a wide range of stability and compatibility improvements.

For those using the Axiom 2 series, LightHouse 5 means a faster and more flexible system with greater possibilities to customize the information display to your boat and your needs.

Important to know before updating

LightHouse 5 is developed exclusively for the Axiom 2 generation and only works with:

Axiom 2
Axiom 2 Pro
Axiom 2 XL

Older chartplotters such as Axiom, Axiom+, Axiom Pro and Axiom XL are not supported and should continue to use LightHouse 4. Raymarine also points out that chartplotters with LightHouse 4 and LightHouse 5 cannot network with each other, which is important to consider in systems with multiple displays.

New Data App gives full control over boat information

Perhaps the biggest news in LightHouse 5 is the brand new Data App .

Instead of being limited to predefined instrument views, you can now create your own data screens and present information exactly the way you want it. This makes it easier to monitor, for example:

Battery status
Fuel consumption
Tank levels
Engine information
Wind data
Navigation information
Electrical systems

For boats with extensive NMEA 2000 networks, Maretron systems or advanced energy systems from, for example, Victron, this opens up significantly more flexible dashboards.

New data source management

LightHouse 5 also introduces a new Data Sources menu.

This makes it much easier to choose which device will deliver a certain type of data. In installations where multiple sensors can deliver the same information, such as GPS position, heading, depth or wind data, the user has better control over which source to prioritize.

This is a requested feature for boats with:

Multiple GPS sources
NMEA 2000 gateways
Maretron system
Engine data from multiple manufacturers
Integrated autopilot systems

Improved Mercury integration

For Mercury users, LightHouse 5 includes several important improvements.

The update introduces support for the new Mercury Precision Joystick and provides access to new settings for:

Joystick control
Skyhook
Autopilot functions

Raymarine has also updated the integration with Mercury's Skyhook technology for improved user experience and compatibility.

More modern user experience

In addition to the technical improvements, Raymarine has also focused on the user interface.

Some of the news includes:

Animated backgrounds

The home screen now supports animated backgrounds, giving it a more modern feel and a more premium feel.

Search function for data fields

When building your own instrument views or configuring information fields, you can now search for desired data types instead of scrolling through long lists.

Improved organization of data objects

Raymarine has also reorganized the data structure to make it easier to find the right information when configuring:

Dashboard App
Data App
Data sidebar
Floating information boxes

Better integration with Maretron, Yamaha and Alpha

A large part of the development work behind LightHouse 5 has focused on compatibility.

Among the improvements we find:

Improved Maretron integration
Improved Mercury integration
Fixes for Yamaha integration
Several improvements for Raymarine Alpha Performance Displays
Improved synchronization between Alpha and Axiom

For sailors using Alpha displays, this means, among other things, that sidebars and data response now work more consistently between devices.

Greater focus on stability

Raymarine has also addressed a large number of bugs and stability issues.

Some examples:

Improved handling of large amounts of waypoints
More stable route management
Fewer restarts in case of system alarms
Improved backup and recovery
Correcting NMEA 2000 alarms
Improved display of Augmented Reality information
Improved night view of boat icon

For users navigating with many routes and thousands of waypoints, these changes can provide a significantly better user experience in practice.

Chart and navigation improvements

The navigation part has not been forgotten either.

LightHouse 5 includes:

Updated Navionics libraries
Improved support for large S-63 map collections
Fixed zoom issues in certain geographic areas
Improved handling of routes and waypoint selection

This contributes to both better performance and higher reliability during longer navigation sessions.

Summary

LightHouse 5 is arguably the largest software update to the Axiom 2 platform since its launch. The new Data App and improved data source management provide users with significantly greater flexibility, while extensive compatibility and stability improvements make the system more reliable.

For anyone using the Axiom 2 , Axiom 2 Pro , or Axiom 2 XL , LightHouse 5 is an update that is definitely worth installing.