diff --git a/inventory/sample/group_vars/all/vsphere.yml b/inventory/sample/group_vars/all/vsphere.yml
index 1a9af8c56..af3cfbe28 100644
--- a/inventory/sample/group_vars/all/vsphere.yml
+++ b/inventory/sample/group_vars/all/vsphere.yml
@@ -14,15 +14,15 @@
 ## gcr.io/cloud-provider-vsphere/cpi/release/manager
 # external_vsphere_cloud_controller_image_tag: "latest"
 ## gcr.io/cloud-provider-vsphere/csi/release/syncer
-# vsphere_syncer_image_tag: "v2.4.0"
+# vsphere_syncer_image_tag: "v2.5.1"
 ## registry.k8s.io/sig-storage/csi-attacher
-# vsphere_csi_attacher_image_tag: "v3.3.0"
+# vsphere_csi_attacher_image_tag: "v3.4.0"
 ## gcr.io/cloud-provider-vsphere/csi/release/driver
-# vsphere_csi_controller: "v2.4.0"
+# vsphere_csi_controller: "v2.5.1"
 ## registry.k8s.io/sig-storage/livenessprobe
-# vsphere_csi_liveness_probe_image_tag: "v2.4.0"
+# vsphere_csi_liveness_probe_image_tag: "v2.6.0"
 ## registry.k8s.io/sig-storage/csi-provisioner
-# vsphere_csi_provisioner_image_tag: "v3.0.0"
+# vsphere_csi_provisioner_image_tag: "v3.1.0"
 ## registry.k8s.io/sig-storage/csi-resizer
 ## makes sense only for vSphere version >=7.0
 # vsphere_csi_resizer_tag: "v1.3.0"
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-config.yml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-config.yml.j2
index deb47d240..56a28d0b3 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-config.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-config.yml.j2
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 apiVersion: v1
 data:
   "csi-migration": "false"
+{% if external_vsphere_version >= "7.0" %}
   "csi-auth-check": "true"
+{% else %}
+  "csi-auth-check": "false"
+{% endif %}
   "online-volume-extend": "true"
   "trigger-csi-fullsync": "false"
   "async-query-volume": "true"
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-deployment.yml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-deployment.yml.j2
index a7ff4ffbf..e0c26496c 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-deployment.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-deployment.yml.j2
@@ -88,12 +88,10 @@ spec:
 {% endif %}
         - name: vsphere-csi-controller
           image: {{ gcr_image_repo }}/cloud-provider-vsphere/csi/release/driver:{{ vsphere_csi_controller }}
-{% if external_vsphere_version >= "7.0u1" %}
           args:
             - "--fss-name=internal-feature-states.csi.vsphere.vmware.com"
             - "--fss-namespace=$(CSI_NAMESPACE)"
             - "--use-gocsi=false"
-{% endif %}
           imagePullPolicy: {{ k8s_image_pull_policy }}
           env:
             - name: CSI_ENDPOINT
@@ -113,11 +111,11 @@ spec:
               value: "100"
             - name: INCLUSTER_CLIENT_BURST
               value: "100"
+{% endif %}
             - name: CSI_NAMESPACE
               valueFrom:
                 fieldRef:
                   fieldPath: metadata.namespace
-{% endif %}
           volumeMounts:
             - mountPath: /etc/cloud
               name: vsphere-config-volume
@@ -154,10 +152,8 @@ spec:
           image: {{ gcr_image_repo }}/cloud-provider-vsphere/csi/release/syncer:{{ vsphere_syncer_image_tag }}
           args:
             - "--leader-election"
-{% if external_vsphere_version >= "7.0u1" %}
             - "--fss-name=internal-feature-states.csi.vsphere.vmware.com"
             - "--fss-namespace=$(CSI_NAMESPACE)"
-{% endif %}
           imagePullPolicy: {{ k8s_image_pull_policy }}
           ports:
             - containerPort: 2113
@@ -175,11 +171,11 @@ spec:
               value: "100"
             - name: INCLUSTER_CLIENT_BURST
               value: "100"
+{% endif %}
             - name: CSI_NAMESPACE
               valueFrom:
                 fieldRef:
                   fieldPath: metadata.namespace
-{% endif %}
           volumeMounts:
             - mountPath: /etc/cloud
               name: vsphere-config-volume
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-rbac.yml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-rbac.yml.j2
index d2f0758ed..80797063a 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-rbac.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-controller-rbac.yml.j2
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ rules:
   - apiGroups: ["storage.k8s.io"]
     resources: ["volumeattachments"]
     verbs: ["get", "list", "watch", "patch", "update"]
-{% if external_vsphere_version >= "7.0u1" %}
   - apiGroups: ["cns.vmware.com"]
     resources: ["triggercsifullsyncs"]
     verbs: ["create", "get", "update", "watch", "list"]
@@ -57,7 +56,6 @@ rules:
   - apiGroups: [ "cns.vmware.com" ]
     resources: [ "csinodetopologies" ]
     verbs: ["get", "update", "watch", "list"]
-{% endif %}
   - apiGroups: ["storage.k8s.io"]
     resources: ["volumeattachments/status"]
     verbs: ["patch"]
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-node.yml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-node.yml.j2
index c0ec36c21..53c90cd1a 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-node.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes-apps/csi_driver/vsphere/templates/vsphere-csi-node.yml.j2
@@ -55,12 +55,10 @@ spec:
       - name: vsphere-csi-node
         image: {{ gcr_image_repo }}/cloud-provider-vsphere/csi/release/driver:{{ vsphere_csi_driver_image_tag }}
         imagePullPolicy: {{ k8s_image_pull_policy }}
-{% if external_vsphere_version >= "7.0u1" %}
         args:
           - "--fss-name=internal-feature-states.csi.vsphere.vmware.com"
           - "--fss-namespace=$(CSI_NAMESPACE)"
           - "--use-gocsi=false"
-{% endif %}
         imagePullPolicy: "Always"
         env:
         - name: NODE_NAME
@@ -81,12 +79,10 @@ spec:
           value: "true"
         - name: LOGGER_LEVEL
           value: "PRODUCTION" # Options: DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION
-{% if external_vsphere_version >= "7.0u1" %}
         - name: CSI_NAMESPACE
           valueFrom:
             fieldRef:
               fieldPath: metadata.namespace
-{% endif %}
         - name: NODEGETINFO_WATCH_TIMEOUT_MINUTES
           value: "1"
         securityContext: