Raspberry Pi 500+

Overview

The Raspberry Pi 500+ is the premium tier of Raspberry Pi's keyboard-computer line, combining the computing power of the Raspberry Pi 5 with a substantially upgraded hardware specification compared to the standard Pi 500. At its core is the same BCM2712 quad-core ARM Cortex-A76 at 2.4GHz, but it pairs this with 16GB of LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM — double the RAM of the Pi 500 — and replaces the microSD card with a built-in 256GB NVMe SSD for dramatically faster storage and better durability.

The keyboard itself is a step above the Pi 500's membrane design: the 500+ uses Gateron KS-33 Blue mechanical switches (84–88 keys depending on regional layout) with programmable per-key RGB LEDs, delivering a tactile typing experience appropriate for sustained productivity use. The chassis is otherwise similar in concept to the Pi 500, integrating the entire computer inside a compact keyboard body with a horizontal 40-pin GPIO header accessible on the back for maker and educational use.

Connectivity is equally comprehensive: dual-band 802.11ac (WiFi 5), Bluetooth 5.0, and Gigabit Ethernet cover all networking scenarios, while 2× USB 3.0, 1× USB 2.0, 2× micro-HDMI (up to 4Kp60), and a microSD slot for removable storage round out the port selection. Power comes via a single USB-C connector at 5V DC. Like all Raspberry Pi products, the GPIO header maintains full compatibility with the broad Raspberry Pi HAT ecosystem.

The Raspberry Pi 500+ runs Raspberry Pi OS and compatible Linux distributions. The NVMe SSD and increased RAM make it particularly capable as a full-time desktop replacement or development workstation, while the GPIO header ensures its continued relevance for physical computing in classrooms and hackspaces. Raspberry Pi's full open-source documentation ecosystem applies, with the BCM2712 platform fully documented.