Raspberry Pi DIY Projects Gain Appeal Amid Chip Shortage and Price Hikes

A global semiconductor shortage has pushed up prices for phones, laptops and gaming consoles, prompting consumers to look for cheaper alternatives. The single‑board computer Raspberry Pi, first released in 2012 and now in its fifth generation, is being promoted as an affordable platform for a range of do‑it‑yourself projects.

Suggested builds include a network‑attached storage (NAS) system using a Pi with an external SSD, a personal VPN server (PiVPN) running OpenVPN or WireGuard, and other hobbyist applications such as media streaming and gaming. Despite several price increases, the Raspberry Pi lineup—comprising the main board, the Compute Module 5, Pico 2 microcontroller and Zero 2 W—remains a cost‑effective option for tech‑savvy users seeking to repurpose hardware amid market scarcity.