9 Epic Raspberry Pi 5 Projects That Weren’t Possible Before (2025)

If you’ve interacted with the Raspberry Pi 5, you must have noticed that it surpasses the Raspberry Pi 4 in many aspects, which I will mention below. It makes the Raspberry Pi 5 more capable of handling complex projects compared to earlier versions. With that in mind, let’s look at some projects you can do with your Raspberry Pi 5.

With a significant performance boost, Raspberry Pi 5 can handle various projects, from simple ones like setting up a desktop computer to complex ones like building a data science workbench.

Raspberry Pi 5 boasts significant improvements to its predecessors, especially in CPU, GPU, and overall processing speed. Additionally, unlike the Raspberry Pi 4 whose RAM maxed out at 8GB, Raspberry Pi 5 includes versions with up to 16GB RAM.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your next Raspberry Pi project, I’ve put together a list of 75+ ideas with full descriptions, difficulty ratings, and links to tutorials. Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, there’s something here for you. Grab the list for free here!

1. Experience an Actual Desktop Experience

There has been an ongoing debate about whether the Raspberry Pi can fully replace your Desktop computer. The main challenge has always been on the performance due to the significant difference in CPU and memory.

The first Raspberry Pi board (Model B) was released in 2012. Yes, Model B came first, followed by Model A. Model B featured only 256MB of RAM, which was hardly enough for basic computing.

Down the line, we had the release of Raspberry Pi 4. It seemed like a more capable board featuring a more powerful CPU and up to 8GB of RAM. Unfortunately, the 8GB RAM max created a limit on how much you could do with the board while using it as a Desktop computer. For example, you could not run Chrome with so many tabs open.

The Raspberry Pi 5 breaks this barrier by featuring more RAM (up to 16GB, even higher than many basic personal computers) and a more capable2.4GHz 64-bit ARM Cortex-A76 CPU. You can now run two browsers (Chrome and Firefox) without worrying about the system hanging.

You can even run VScode while researching on Stack Overflow or ChatGPT on your browser. Additionally, you can even install various operating systems instead of sticking to the default Raspberry Pi OS. You can check out our list of the best Raspberry Pi operating systems and see which one would likely suit your needs.

2. Explore Edge AI with Raspberry Pi 5

According to Eben Upton, founder and CEO of Raspberry Pi Ltd, artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLM) are one of the anticipated use cases for the new 16GB variant.

If you have been reading different AI resources, you’ve likely heard the term “Edge AI.” It refers to running AI models locally instead of relying on cloud processing. If you are wondering whether the Raspberry Pi 5 can do that, the answer is “Absolutely Yes!”

With the 16GB RAM version, the Raspberry Pi 5 is surprisingly capable of running AI models, making it perfect for edge computing. But what exactly can you do with AI on Raspberry Pi 5? Well, you are in for a surprise because it’s so much more than you can imagine.

• Smart Computer Vision (Face, Object & Gesture Recognition): Let’s say you are thinking of building an AI-powered security camera. The basic setup will of course make use of OpenCV and a Raspberry Pi board.

  Now to incorporate AI in your setup, all you need is to download an AI model on your Raspberry Pi and feed it the camera output. From there, you can be able to achieve things like:

  • Face detection and track movement.
  • Object identification (e.g., recognize pets, deliveries, or even license plates).
  • Device control using hand gestures (Imagine turning on lights with a wave!).
    
• Make your own voice assistant (Like Siri or Alexa, but Private!): Have you ever thought of making a personal voice assistant like you see in movies? Well, the Raspberry Pi’s high-performance capabilities make it quite possible.

  You can use AI-powered speech recognition frameworks like Picovoice, Whisper, and Vosk to bring voice control to your Raspberry Pi 5. And what you can do with these frameworks is limitless. You can:

  • Train your Raspberry Pi 5 to understand voice commands.
  • Control smart home devices.
  • Generate real-time speech responses.
    
• Run Chatbots & LLMs (Yes, Even Mini ChatGPTs!): By now, I’m pretty sure you have heard of or used ChatGPT.

  ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI to understand human speech. These models are trained on large amounts of text data to learn patterns, grammar, facts, and even some level of reasoning. That requires some high level of computing which the Raspberry Pi might not have.

  Luckily, there are lightweight models that you can comfortably download and install on your Raspberry Pi 5:

  • ChatGLM – A lightweight chatbot.
  • OpenLLaMA – Open-source alternative to GPT models.
  • Microsoft Phi-3 – Efficient and compact AI.

    You can use these models for customer support bots, coding assistants, or even AI-powered note-taking tools. You can interact with them via Python scripts or hook them up to Telegram for a personal AI chatbot.

3. Setup a High-Performance Home Server

If you’ve read the many posts on this website, you will come across posts on how to use the Raspberry Pi as a home server. We have shown you how to do that using boards like Raspberry Pi 3B+ and Raspberry Pi 4, and it worked well.

But with a Raspberry Pi 5, which features a faster CPU, PCIe support, and up to 16GB RAM, there is so much you can do. Whether you want to store files, stream media, host a website, or automate your smart home, the Raspberry Pi 5 can handle it better than any previous model.

For example, if you’ve used a Raspberry Pi as a Nextcloud server before, you’ll notice much faster file transfers and smoother multi-user performance with the Raspberry Pi 5. Still, I recommend using an external SSD via PCIe or USB 3.0 for storage instead of the default Micro SD card.

If you are into Media servers, you will notice that applications like Plex or Jellyfin will perform much better on Raspberry Pi 5 thanks to the improved video processing and increased RAM capacity.

Lastly, if you are interested in a self-hosted application, the Raspberry Pi 5 is perfect for Docker-based setups where you can run multiple services ranging from VPNs, ad blocker (Pi-hole), and even a lightweight game server.

4. Turn Your Pi 5 into the Ultimate Retro Gaming Machine

Retro gaming is a very huge topic in the Raspberry Pi community. Surprisingly, we have a distribution like RetroPie and even Raspberry kits specifically designed for Retro gaming. We have several posts on this topic where we mainly used the Raspberry Pi 4.

The performance was good, but not for all titles. For example, running the PS2 (PCSX2) emulator on the Raspberry Pi 4 was a headache. Another game I tried was from Sony, God of War: Chains of Olympus. This game lagged heavily, making it unplayable.

But now with the Raspberry Pi 5’s faster CPU, improved GPU, and up to 16GB RAM, you can take your retro gaming experience to the next level. Whether you’re into arcade classics, old-school consoles, or handheld favorites, the Pi 5 handles them better than any previous model.

Setting up the Raspberry Pi 5 as a retro gaming machine is easier than ever. All you need to do is install emulation platforms like RetroPie, Batocera, or Lakka. Once done, load up your favorite ROMs, and you’re ready to relive the golden age of gaming.

5. Run Virtual Machines and Containers Like a Pro

If there is something I love doing, it’s spinning up virtual machines (VMs). I am on a Macbook but much of my work revolves around Linux systems like Debian or Kali Linux and testing some applications on Windows. The quick solution I always have for it is running virtual machines on my PC.

However, despite working with VMs daily, I have never tried setting one up on my Raspberry Pi 4. The main reason for that was RAM. If there is one thing that makes me feel frustrated, it is using a slow or lagging system. So I never bothered.

If you are like me, I think it’s time to change that narrative. With the Raspberry Pi 5’s upgraded CPU, increased RAM and PCIe support, you can now dive into virtualization and containerization like never before.

Of course, you cannot use a virtualization platform like Virtualbox since it’s meant to run on x86 CPU while the Raspberry Pi uses an ARM CPU. You can install VMware ESXi but the installation process is quite hectic. Some platforms that I would highly recommend are QEMU and Proxmox.

You can use these platforms to spin up virtual machines for ARM-based operating systems like:

• Ubuntu Server
• Alpine Linux
• OpenWrt

But if the sole purpose of spinning virtual machines is to run specific applications, why not think of containerization? You can use platforms like Docker and LXD (Linux Containers) to create isolated environments for apps, using far fewer resources.

With containers, you can:

• Deploy web servers and databases (e.g., Nginx, MySQL).
• Run self-hosted apps like Pi-hole or Home Assistant.
• Set up a mini cloud lab for development and testing.

6. Master Data Science on a Budget

When British mathematician Clive Humby said that “data is the new oil” in 2006, he meant that data, like oil, isn’t useful in its raw state. It needs to be refined, processed and turned into something useful.

That has brought rise to fields like data science, data visualization, and machine learning. If you want to setup a station where you can learn all these but on a budget, the Raspberry Pi 5 is the perfect solution.

The upgraded CPU and up to 16GB RAM make it possible to set up a fully functional data science workbench at a fraction of the cost. You can install and run popular data science tools, such as:

• JupyterLab: This is an interactive coding environment for Python, data analysis, and visualization.
• Pandas & NumPy: Work with large datasets and perform numerical computations.
• Matplotlib & Seaborn: Create stunning data visualizations.
• Scikit-learn & TensorFlow Lite: Experiment with machine learning models.

7. Turn Your Raspberry Pi 5 into a Firewall & Router

With its faster CPU, PCIe support, and improved networking capabilities, the Raspberry Pi 5 can be used as a lightweight firewall and router for small home or office networks. While it only has one built-in Ethernet port, you can combine Wi-Fi and USB-to-Ethernet adapters to create a functional network gateway.

Setting up a firewall requires a lot of configuration. While the task might seem daunting, it is also a great opportunity to learn about network security, traffic management, and internet filtering.

You can use iptables and hostapd to manually configure firewall rules and create a Wi-Fi hotspot, or you can go for OpenWrt, which offers an easy-to-use web interface for managing network settings. If you’re looking for a lightweight but powerful security layer, you can even explore Pi-hole, which blocks ads and trackers at the network level.

Of course, Raspberry Pi 5 won’t replace enterprise-grade firewalls, but it’s a cost-effective and fun way to build a custom networking solution.

8. Master Ethical Hacking on the Go

If you are in cybersecurity, the Raspberry Pi can become a useful resource. Personally, I find the penetration testing field quite interesting and I always run Kali Linux on my Raspberry Pi 4 once in a while.

Although I can carry out various tasks perfectly, working with some tools on Raspberry Pi 4 can be problematic because of the limited RAM. For example, using web penetration tools like BurpSuite or OWASP ZAP is quite tricky since these are resource-intensive applications.

Even the famous Metasploit framework takes time to launch and starts to lag when working with heavy payloads or running multiple sessions. But with the high computing power that comes with Raspberry Pi 5, the future looks bright.

According to a test done by ZDNET on cracking passwords using Hashcat, the Raspberry Pi 5 was twice as fast as the Raspberry Pi 4. That should tell you something. Therefore, running applications like BurpSuite, Metasploit or even OWASP ZAP shouldn’t be a problem on Raspberry Pi 5.

You can also use the Raspberry Pi 5 for setting up a home lab for penetration testing. You can do it by installing vulnerable systems on the Raspberry Pi and performing the attack from your PC. Alternatively, you can use the Raspberry Pi for both. Install Kali Linux or Parrot OS and then set up virtual machines for practice.

Want to chat with other Raspberry Pi enthusiasts? Join the community, share your current projects and ask for help directly in the forums.

9. Create, Model, and Render in 3D with Raspberry Pi 5

You can never compare the Raspberry Pi to high-end 3D modelling workstations. However, the Raspberry Pi 5 offers a budget-friendly way to explore 3D design, CAD modelling, and rendering.

A $120 single-board computer won’t compete with a professional rig, but with its improved CPU and up to 16GB RAM, it can handle light 3D modelling tasks, object design, and even basic rendering much better than its predecessors.

If you have the 16GB RAM board, you can work with larger files, load more assets, and run modelling software more efficiently.

There are several 3D modelling applications available for Raspberry Pi, including FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, BlocksCAD, and TinkerCAD (via web browser). Blender isn’t natively supported on the Pi, but with some tweaks, it can run for basic tasks.

Those are 9 projects that you can try out on your Raspberry Pi 5. Maybe you have done some of them already with either Raspberry Pi 4B or 3B+ but I urge you to try them out with the Raspberry Pi 5 and spot the difference in performance.