You can plug some weird and wonderful things into your Raspberry Pi's USB ports outside of the obvious mouse, keyboards, and storage devices. Here are some of the more interesting accessories you might want to get your hands on for your next project.
Wired game controllers
Bill Loguidice / How-To Geek
A huge number of wired game controllers are compatible with the Raspberry Pi, including modern Xbox and PlayStation controllers, period-appropriate retro controllers from the likes of 8Bitdo, and more interesting options like arcade sticks and light guns.
These work great for retro-themed Pi builds for use with RetroPie , Recalbox , Lakka , and Batocera .
External USB speakers
Raspberry Pi boards lack 3.5mm stereo and RCA outputs unless you invest in a HAT that adds these ports. By default, your Pi will output audio over an HDMI connection, which you'll need to break out with an HDMI to 3.5mm converter.
USB audio provides another option. Once connected, you can use the raspi-config tool (just runsudo raspi-configin Terminal) to select system-wide audio output under System Options > Audio.
Wireless radios
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
The Raspberry Pi is a popular choice among smart home enthusiasts looking to run Home Assistant. In order to build a resilient smart home that isn't utterly dependent on Wi-Fi , you can add mesh technologies like Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread (Matter) to your server. These allow you to connect devices like smart plugs, bulbs, switches, and more.
For Zigbee or Thread, give Nabu Casa's ZBT-2 a shot . For Z-Wave, you can add a ZWA-2 and reach devices up to a mile away . You can also plug in other radios, such as Bluetooth dongles (for Pi devices that lack built-in Bluetooth support) and USB Wi-Fi adapters, too.
USB temperature sensors
A USB temperature sensor is exactly what it sounds like: a thermometer on the end of a USB stick that reports the current temperature. The only drawback here is that if your Pi gets especially hot, there's not a lot of distance between the sensor and the board, which could impact the reading (though a USB extension cable would solve that).
One such example is the TEMPer ($19), for which there are some good resources out there for accessing the temperature using Python from GitHub users like urwen , ccwienk , and NotBobTheBuilder .
USB ADS-B receiver
buradaki / Shutterstock
ADS-B stands for Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast, a form of wireless communication used by planes to inform listeners of their current position, among other identifying information. This use was recently featured by How-To Geek's resident Raspberry Pi enthusiast Patrick as a fun weekend project .
Grab an adapter like the Nooelec NESDR Mini or the AirNav Radar FlightStick and then install an operating system like Pi24 or ADSBx so you can keep an eye on the sky (and contribute to wider flight-tracking databases).
USB sound cards
If you're hoping to use your Raspberry Pi for delivering audio, a DAC Pro or DAC+ HAT might be the best option. If you want to keep things simple, however, you might want to use amplified USB audio instead. The Waveshare USB Sound Card ($13) is one such example.
Not only can it deliver a mighty 2.6W per channel (over 4Ω), it also includes speaker connectors, encoding and decoding abilities, and a built-in microphone. It's perfect for small projects that need audio in and out, but don't expect it to raise the roof at your next party.
Machine learning accelerators
Coral
The official Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ may be here, but it's only compatible with Pi 5 Model B boards. If you have a 4B, 3B, or desktop replacement like the Pi 500+ , you lack the necessary PCIe interface to use the new AI accelerator. Thankfully, there is another option in the form of the Coral USB Accelerator ($130).
With its Edge TPU coprocessor, the Coral is able to compile and run TensorFlow Lite models locally.
GPS receivers
If you're putting together a Cyberdeck with your Raspberry Pi , a GPS receiver makes a lot of sense. They'll also come in handy if you're building a computer for your car. Though there are HATs that also perform this task, USB options like the HiLetgo VK172 ($12) are cheap and cheerful.
This particular model supports GPS and GLONASS, though it won't work with both at the same time.
Cellular network dongles
Waveshare
A cellular network dongle gives you access to the internet, even when you don't have a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. They're perfect for Raspberry Pi builds that are either portable or designed to be left somewhere remote (as long as you have cellular reception).
The Waveshare SIM7600G-H ($82) is one such device that works all over the world using a Raspberry Pi. It includes a nano SIM card slot, plus a UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter) to add even more utility.
Faster Ethernet
Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek
Faster Ethernet might not be everyone's idea of fun, but if you're using your Pi for bandwidth-intensive tasks like running a NAS, going from the paltry 1Gb network speed of the Pi 4B and newer can be a game-changer. Waveshare's 2.5Gb USB network adapter ($26) makes this possible on the 4B and later.
Other uses for your USB ports include (powered) USB hubs, webcams, adapters for moving from USB to older standards like serial or parallel, UART adapters, and the most fun accessory of all, USB port blockers .
