Update killed Ir blaster?

[kirksucks]

I went from a Note 4 to a note5 that no longer has an Ir Blaster. I was really bummed because I used it all the time. Bit the I remembered that my girlfriend's tablet has an ir blaster but never used it as a remote because I used my note4. So I got it out and looked for the remote app. Nothing there, downloaded several but they said my device doesn't have an ir blaster..... But it does. Found a couple posts about Samsung disabling it in an update. What the actual F is that about?

Why disable a piece of hardware? I get the decision to remove it physically from new devices but to disable something that's a physical part of the device?

The blaster is one of the things keeping old devices useful.

Lame.

Rant over.