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What Raspberry Pi Desktop does
Raspberry Pi Desktop is the local graphical user interface: the on-screen windows, icons, menus and pointer you use to interact with a Raspberry Pi. It is part of a Raspberry Pi OS installation that includes a desktop environment, not a remote-access service. Raspberry Pi describes the desktop GUI in its configuration documentation.
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To use the Pi directly as a desktop computer, Raspberry Pi’s getting-started guide lists a display, a cable to connect it, a keyboard and a mouse. The Pi also needs power and boot media, such as a microSD card. A headless Pi—with no display connected—does not give you a local screen on which to use its graphical desktop.
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What Raspberry Pi Connect does
Raspberry Pi Connect is an account-linked remote-access service. Once a device is linked to a Connect account, you can reach it in a browser. Raspberry Pi documents three capabilities: screen sharing, remote shell and remote update. See the Connect documentation and Connect service page.
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- Includes Raspberry Pi 5 with 2.4Ghz 64-bit quad-core CPU (8GB RAM)
- Includes 128GB Micro SD Card pre-loaded with 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS, USB MicroSD Card Reader
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- CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- Mega Heat Sink - Black Anodized
- Screen sharing: View and interact with the Pi’s graphical session remotely.
- Remote shell: Open a command-line session in the browser.
- Remote update: The Connect introduction lists remote update as a service capability.
Connect is not the same as SSH. Its remote shell opens a new session for each connection. If a command must continue running after you disconnect, Raspberry Pi recommends using a session manager such as screen or tmux.
Which Raspberry Pi OS setups support screen sharing?
Raspberry Pi Connect requires Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm or later. Screen sharing has additional requirements: it needs the Wayland window server and does not work on Raspberry Pi OS Lite or systems using X. The Lite variant supports remote shell, not screen sharing. Raspberry Pi states that “Screen sharing requires the Wayland window server” in its Connect documentation.
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| Setup | Connect capability established by Raspberry Pi |
|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm or later with Wayland | Screen sharing and remote shell; Connect also lists remote update. |
| Raspberry Pi OS Lite | Remote shell only; screen sharing is unavailable. |
| System using X | Screen sharing is incompatible. |
| Older than Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm | Connect is not supported under the documented requirement. |
These distinctions matter if you want a remote graphical session: having Connect access does not, by itself, mean the OS installation can share a screen. For a headless setup, Raspberry Pi lists network access and remote access through SSH or Connect as the relevant approach in its getting-started guide.
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Choose local desktop use when you want to sit at the Pi and interact with it through a connected display, keyboard and mouse. Choose Connect when you want browser-based access to a compatible, network-connected Pi. A Pi can be used headlessly and accessed remotely, but that does not mean it has a locally visible desktop.
Rank #3
- Pi5 8GB Pack: RasTech Pi 5 8GB kit includes 1 x Pi5 8GB board ,1 x 64GB Card, 2 x Card Readers,1 x Active Cooler,1 x Case for Pi5, 2 x 4K Micro HD Out Cable,1 x GaN 27W 5A USB-C Power supply,1 x Screwdriver and 1 x instructions.
- Pi5 8GB Board: The Pi5 board is equipped with a 64-bit quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor running at 2.4GHz and an 800MHz VideoCore VII GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.2, which delivers a significant increase in graphics performance. Dual HD Out 4Kp60 display outputs and a built-in dual 4-channel MIPI camera/display transceiver provide state-of-the-art camera support. The Pi 5 offers a 2-3 times increase in CPU performance compare to Pi4.
- Important Graphics Features: Equipped with an 800MHz VideoCore VII GPU and providing better graphics performance, suitable for multimedia applications,gaming,and graphics intensive tasks.Provides 1 UART interface,1 card slot that supports high-speed operation, 2 USB. 3 0.5 ports that support synchronous 0Gbps operation,2 USB 2.0 port ports,2 4Kp60 display outputs that support HDR.Built-in dedicated dual 4-channel 1Gbps MIPI DSI/CSI connectors,triple the total bandwidth.
- Cooling Kit for Pi 5: Compatible with Active Cooler for Raspberry Pi5, It can provide Pi 5 board with better cooling effect in using. The Case can accurately access usb-c power jack,Micro HD Out ports, usb ports, Ethernet jack, card slot, power button, 4-lane MIPI DSI/CSI connectors and so on, and it also supports installation of cooling fan.
- 64GB Card Kit and GaN 27W USB-C Power Supply: With extra 64GB card to store more files and card readers for multiple medium, keep better performance for Raspberry Pi 5, 27W USB C Power Supply is Compatible with Pi5 8GB, offers a variety of output voltage options, including 5.1V at 5A, 9.0V at 3.0A, 12.0V at 2.25A, and 15.0V at 1.8A, providing for different device requirements.
Connect can work when the browser and Pi are on the same network or on different networks. Raspberry Pi says a direct local connection is faster and more responsive than a connection routed over the internet or through a relay. If browser or operating-system permissions for local-network discovery are denied, Connect can still work, but the local direct route is unavailable.
How Connect handles connections and security
Raspberry Pi says Connect uses WebRTC, with DTLS-encrypted sessions between the Pi and browser. According to the company’s documentation, the Pi generates a fresh key pair for each session, holds the private key in memory and discards it when the session ends. Screen frames, input, clipboard data and shell contents travel through the encrypted channel; the API exchanges setup information and device state. These are Raspberry Pi’s descriptions of its design, not the results of independent security testing.
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- 9 PART KIT INCLUDES MOST ACCESSORIES NEEDED YOU TO GET UP AND RUNNING: 1. Raspberry Pi 5 Board–2.Metal/Aluminum Alloy Passive & Active Cooling Case–3.Raspberry Pi 5 Compatible Power Supply–4. PWM fan With 10k Max RPM Capacity (pre-installed in the case)--5. 32GB Micro SD Card With 64bit Raspberry Pi OS Preinstalled–6. Standard HDMI to Micro HDMI Adapter Cable--7.Neoprene Storage bag–8.Vilros Quickstart Guide for Raspberry Pi–9. Mini To Standard Camera Module Adapter Cable to use a camera module with a PI 5
- RASPBERRY PI 5 SPECS AND FEATURES:--Processor: Broadcom BCM2712 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU, with cryptography extensions, 512KB per-core L2 caches, and a 2MB shared L3 cache----Features: 2.4GHz quad-core, 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU–VideoCore VII GPU supporting Vulkan 1.2 and OpenGL ES–LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM (4GB and 8GB options)--PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals ( Requires adapter)--Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz –Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
- MULTIFUNCTION PASSIVE & ACTIVE COOLED CASE: The case features a built-in pole/column that contacts the main chip on the Raspberry Pi 5 board via an included thermal pad to passively cool the board and also includes a preinstalled PWM Fan that plugs directly into the fan port on the board. The fan will only turn on if needed and will also increase RPMs as needed. Other features include a built-in power button that shows the onboard light status, camera module compatibility, and can be used in the single-layer configuration for hat compatibility
- HIGH-QUALITY COMPONENTS: All components are manufactured with Raspberry Pi in mind and are backed by the Vilros 1-Year warranty.
When a direct peer-to-peer connection cannot be made, Connect may relay encrypted traffic through TURN servers. Raspberry Pi says its relay servers are in London and California and that there is no Connect setting to disable relaying. The company also says it holds offer/answer connection metadata for at most one minute.
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Connect plans listed by Raspberry Pi
As listed on Raspberry Pi’s service page in 2026, the individual plan is free and includes unlimited devices, screen sharing, remote shell and remote update. The organisation plan is priced at $0.50 per device per month and lists unlimited users, search and filtering, device tagging, bulk provisioning, a management API and an audit log. These are Raspberry Pi’s published plan details; prices and features can change.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Includes Raspberry Pi 5 16GB with 2.4Ghz 64-bit quad-core CPU (16GB RAM)
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- CanaKit Turbine Black Case for the Raspberry Pi 5
- CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- Mega Heat Sink - Black Anodized
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
