Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W review: the new $7 microcontroller is low cost, faster, and adds more RAM and Wi-Fi connectivity, but still uses micro USB
The RP2350 finally gets Wi-Fi! … It is fair to say that the Raspberry Pi Pico disrupted the maker community in 2021.
Context & Ripple Effects
Raspberry Pi established the Pico line with a $4 RP2040-based microcontroller for hardware projects, then extended it with the $6 Pico W and its 802.11n radio. Pico 2 W is the next step in making networked embedded development a baseline capability rather than a premium add-on.
The move matters because Raspberry Pi has already used low-cost wireless boards across both microcontroller and small-computer formats, including the $10 Zero W. This release concentrates more capability in the Pico family while retaining an older physical I/O choice.
First-order effects
- Makers and educators get a $7 Pico option with faster processing, more memory and Wi-Fi connectivity, expanding the set of connected projects that can stay within the Pico ecosystem.
- Micro USB remains the board’s host and power connector, so users gain compute and wireless capability without a corresponding move to the newer USB-C connector standard.
Second-order effects
- The new baseline puts pressure on competing entry-level microcontroller boards to justify price differences through software support, peripherals, connector choices or wireless features.
- Projects that previously selected the Pico W chiefly for connectivity can evaluate the newer board as the more capable default, potentially simplifying Raspberry Pi’s own product selection for networked hardware builds.
Third-order effects
- If successive Pico generations continue to combine low pricing with more on-board capability, differentiation in the maker microcontroller market will shift further from raw hardware specifications toward tooling, documentation and community support.
- The retained micro USB port shows that capability upgrades do not automatically resolve ecosystem transitions; connector modernization may remain uneven where cost and installed accessories matter.
The trend: Low-cost maker boards are steadily folding wireless connectivity and higher performance into their default configurations, making connected embedded projects accessible at the entry tier.