These 6 devices are secretly a Raspberry Pi in disguise, and you probably own at least one

Published Sep 22, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Tim has been covering technology for almost 20 years, in that time spanning a broad range of topics from security to product reviews. He is especially focused on the Apple ecosystem, productivity, and consumer advice. Over the years Tim has written thousands of articles, reviews, and round-ups in addition to producing video content and original photography. A graduate of journalism, he found his footing as a freelancer with a laptop and loves how he is able to work from practically anywhere. Now a Senior Editor for iPhone, Mac, and Smart Home at How-To Geek, Tim still loves to write. He can also be found crafting round-ups and productivity posts for the Zapier blog. Earlier in his career Tim spent nearly a decade as a writer and eventually Apple section editor for MakeUseOf. Tim currently lives in Brisbane, Australia. Outside of work he loves to hike and work out, play video games, and spend quality time with his wonderful partner and two cats Inka and Roger. The Raspberry Pi has found its way into hundreds, if not thousands, of projects, some of which you may own without realizing it. This includes kits built around retail single-board computers, compute modules that are embedded in the hardware, and microcontrollers that perform secondary functions. Here are a few you may have heard of (and a few you inevitably haven’t). KORG synthesizers Powering a modern wave of affordable synthesizers Synthesizers can be expensive, complex, and unreliable machines. They rely heavily on analog circuitry, which makes for rich, warm, and delightfully unpredictable sound creation. The downside of this approach comes in the form of cost and durability, but digital solutions can solve both of those problems. KORG is one of the largest instrument manufacturers of its kind, and is famous for its iconic synthesizers. It was also one of the first big names in the game to heavily embrace software solutions, having produced faithful emulated versions of KORG hardware on everything from the iPad to the Nintendo DS. It should come as little surprise that KORG has fully embraced the “digital analog” approach with its core lineup. Two examples are the KORG Multi/Poly, a polyphonic analog modeling synthesizer; and the KORG minilogue XD, an analogue synthesizer that combines digital sound generation and processing. Both of these machines use the Raspberry Pi Computer Module 3 in their design. KORG isn’t the only company to have done this, of course. Another example is the Erica Synths Bullfrog, a self-described “educational” instrument that is designed around the concept of teaching subtractive synthesis to beginners. Framework Laptop 16 An endlessly customizable laptop that uses an RP2040 Credit: Framework Framework made a splash when it arrived on the scene and gave many geeks what they’d been dreaming of for years: a fully modular and upgradeable laptop system. The company secured investment from high-profile tech influencers and quickly grew to build a community of loyal fans and owners alike. The Framework Laptop 16 is the largest laptop in the range, taking the form of a 16-inch portable. You can swap out core components like the GPU, expansion modules, and keyboards. The various keyboards use QMK firmware, which allows for deep customization, with a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller running the show. Seeed Studio reTerminal range A flat touchscreen display with a Raspberry Pi inside Credit: Seeed Studio Seeed Studio creates a broad range of hobbyist products built around microcontrollers and single-board computers. While you might be most familiar with the company’s ESP32 development boards, some products put Raspberry Pi hardware to good use. One of these is the reTerminal range, current iterations of which use the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 paired with 32GB of RAM. The reTerminal bills itself as a rugged panel PC and is available in a range of configurations and sizes. These devices are perfect for building smart home dashboards for platforms like Home Assistant or anywhere else you might need a touchscreen interface with an efficient yet powerful integrated chip. Puttr smart putting green The Raspberry Pi really can be found everywhere Credit: Puttr Puttr is the evolution of those cheap putting green golf ball return toys that were once all the rage (maybe they still are). This version contains additional smarts powered by Raspberry Pi hardware, a mat, a ball return system, tablet or smartphone connectivity, and an optional subscription for coaching and more. The full package includes single and multiplayer modes, tailored skill levels, leaderboards, and competitions. The core technology relies on computer vision and Bluetooth, measuring alignments, ball speed, and accuracy. You can mirror your tablet or smartphone to a TV for the big-screen experience, and bring your own putter and golf balls. Iconic Arcade retro cabinets The Pi remains a strong choice for retro gaming Credit: Iconic Arcade The Raspberry Pi has been a hit with retro gaming enthusiasts for well over a decade. Before RAM prices surged and made the single-board computer a less enticing prospect, the Raspberry Pi was one of the top choices for building your own emulation station to sit under a PC or inside of an arcade cabinet. For many retro gaming applications, the Pi 5 has more than enough power. That explains why Iconic Arcade uses the Pi 5 in its full-sized arcade cabinets. At the time of writing, there are two licensed cabinets in production: Burgertime XT and Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. These come with 18 and 15 pre-installed games respectively, with arcade trimmings like a light-up marquee, false coin door, and quality arcade-style sticks and buttons. PiKVM The clue’s in the name Credit: PiKVM A KVM “Keyboard Video Mouse” switch is a device that lets you control multiple computers with a single set of peripherals and display. PiKVM is a company that builds solutions with a Raspberry Pi at the heart of the operation. Some are available as kits, while others are competitively-priced plug-and-play solutions. The PIKVM V4 Plus sits at the top of the range, with 1080p 60fps video, microphone, and webcam functionality plus HDMI passthrough, SIM card slots for remote access via modem, and full USB host support (starting at $350). It’s powered by a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, while other solutions in the PiKVM lineup make use of the standalone Raspberry Pi 4, with kits that use the Zero 2 W and earlier computers also available. Though the RAM crisis hasn’t been kind to the Raspberry Pi, the hardware still has plenty of compelling uses, and that includes replacing subscriptions with the cheapest $45 1GB model.