Deprecations
Open official pageOpenAI deprecations
Source of record for the May 7, 2026 shutdown date, the affected preview model names, and the exact replacement models OpenAI recommends.
OpenAI deprecation detail
gpt-4o preview audio and realtime models on a May 7, 2026 shutdown path
This page is a decision brief for teams still pinned to preview realtime or audio model names. It keeps the shutdown date, exact replacement mapping, and the cutover checks in one source-linked view.
Why this matters now
This is a dated model-name cutoff, not a vague preview warning.
Use these points to decide whether preview model names are still present in production, whether the move is only a model swap, and whether a separate Realtime interface migration is also still pending.
Official sources
Check the OpenAI pages behind this migration brief.
This page uses a fixed source set so the migration brief stays auditable instead of drifting into secondhand advice.
Guide
Open official pageRealtime guide
Backs the separate Beta to GA interface migration path, which still matters if a team is changing both model names and the Realtime integration surface.
Model mapping
Each preview name now has an explicit current-family replacement.
The deprecations page already names the destination model for each active preview audio or realtime row. The migration work is mostly about finding these names everywhere they still exist and replacing them deliberately.
| Before | Now | What changes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| gpt-4o-realtime-preview, gpt-4o-realtime-preview-2025-06-03, and gpt-4o-realtime-preview-2024-12-17 | gpt-realtime-1.5 | All three preview realtime names are on the same May 7, 2026 shutdown path, and OpenAI points each one to gpt-realtime-1.5 rather than to another preview alias. | |
| gpt-4o-mini-realtime-preview | gpt-realtime-mini | The mini realtime preview row has its own direct replacement, so teams should switch to gpt-realtime-mini instead of keeping a preview naming path alive in configuration. | |
| gpt-4o-audio-preview | gpt-audio-1.5 | The primary preview audio row now has a named current-family replacement, which means production cutover should use gpt-audio-1.5 rather than waiting for the preview alias to disappear. | |
| gpt-4o-mini-audio-preview | gpt-audio-mini | The mini audio preview row also has a direct destination, so audio workloads on preview names can be migrated without inventing a custom replacement matrix. |
Migration checklist
Treat this as a name audit and cutover sequence first.
The order here is meant to find every preview name still in use, move those references to the listed replacements, and separate that work from any remaining beta interface migration.
Step 1
Inventory every preview audio and realtime model name.
Search application code, SDK wrappers, environment settings, prompt config, and admin controls for the exact preview names listed on the deprecations page.
Sources
Step 2
Replace each preview row with the listed current-family model.
Use the exact replacement OpenAI publishes for each row rather than letting a wrapper, alias, or stale default guess the destination model at runtime.
Sources
Step 3
Split model replacement from Realtime beta migration work.
If the system still uses the beta Realtime interface, schedule that move separately. The Realtime guide treats Beta to GA as its own migration because the interface changes go beyond model naming.
Sources
Step 4
Move production traffic before May 7, 2026.
Treat the OpenAI shutdown date as the operational deadline and leave enough runway for staging validation, rollback planning, and controlled rollout before the listed removal date.
Sources
Verify before cutover
Do not close this migration until the preview names are gone from production paths.
These checks are the minimum confidence gates before realtime or audio traffic should leave the preview model group behind.
No preview names remain in runtime configuration
Confirm the exact preview model names on the deprecations page no longer appear in environment variables, service defaults, SDK wrappers, or admin controls.
Sources
Replacement mapping is explicit for every affected workload
Verify each preview row has been moved to the current model OpenAI recommends, instead of relying on hidden aliasing or one broad replacement assumption for every workload.
Sources
Beta interface assumptions are cleared separately if present
If any realtime client still depends on the beta interface, validate that work against the Realtime Beta to GA guidance rather than assuming the model-name swap finishes the migration.
Sources
Production audio and realtime flows pass on the new model names
Re-run the production paths that generate speech, handle transcripts, or manage realtime sessions so the preview-name removal is complete before the May 7, 2026 shutdown date arrives.
Continue the site
Keep moving through the decision from here.
Use the groups below to move laterally through the decision, not back out into another doc hunt.
Related pages
Stay in the same decision neighborhood instead of backing out to search.
OpenAI deprecations tracker
Provider-specific hub for OpenAI shutdown dates, migration briefs, and replacement paths.
Open pageRealtime API beta shutdown
Shutdown-date brief for the Realtime beta interface and the current GA migration path.
Open pageLegacy GPT snapshots
Migration brief for dated legacy GPT snapshots and older preview aliases with a fixed cutoff.
Open pageCompare pages
Open the pages that turn this topic into a side-by-side decision.
Replacement pages
Use the likely substitutes, migration targets, or fallback choices as the next click.
OpenAI web search pricing
Tool-cost brief for web search pricing across standard and preview search paths.
Open pageOpenAI container pricing
Tool-cost brief for code interpreter container runtime and how it stacks with model spend.
Open pageOpenAI API pricing calculator
Interactive calculator for model tokens, hosted tools, and runtime in one estimate.
Open pageSource category pages
Trace the source families behind this page instead of opening random docs in isolation.