Raspberry Pi 5 price hike means the 16GB model now costs three times what it did at launch — and of course, the global RAM shortage is to blame
The 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 now costs $385, up from $120 at launch, and Raspberry Pi says scarce 16GB DRAM leaves it no choice.
Raspberry Pi has increased the price of its 16GB Pi 5 by $80, making it $385 - a price that is more than triple the $120 launch cost. The company's CEO, Eben Upton, attributes this price hike to a lack of alternative 16GB DRAM supply and other component shortages. Upton confirmed that the memory crisis is expected to last until 2028 to 2030.
Despite the price increase, demand for the 16GB Pi 5 has grown, with sales rising 47% in the half. The 8GB Raspberry Pi 5, priced at $175, now costs an additional $210 for the extra 8GB, and the Raspberry Pi 500+ - a keyboard computer with 16GB RAM - remains at its existing price. Some buyers find the 16GB Pi 5 difficult to justify after considering the cost of a standalone SSD.
Raspberry Pi advises choosing lower-density variants or older models and optimizing applications to avoid paying for unnecessary memory. The company expects meaningful new supply of DRAM to become available by 2028.
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