The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched a new version of the small single-board computer that features 4K60 hardware decoding (HEVC) and dual monitor output at up to 4K.

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
In a surprise announcement, the organization said that the new more powerful Raspberry Pi 4 is now available. Many had expected the upgrade to arrive sometime in 2020.

- "We have a surprise for you today: Raspberry Pi 4 is now on sale, starting at $35. This is a comprehensive upgrade, touching almost every element of the platform. For the first time we provide a PC-like level of performance for most users, while retaining the interfacing capabilities and hackability of the classic Raspberry Pi line," the organization announced. 

Raspberry Pi is a small single-board computer that can be configured to do lots of stuff, including serving as a computer for video playback. The new board is capable of decoding 4K60 - video at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with HEVC - in hardware.



Another new feature is "dual monitor support, at resolutions up to 4K". To make it possible without having to increase the physical size of the board, the single full-size HDMI port has been replaced by two micro HDMI connections.

- "To accommodate dual display output within the existing board footprint, we’ve replaced the type-A (full-size) HDMI connector with a pair of type-D (micro) HDMI connectors."

Additional specifications can be found below.

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is available now starting at $35 (excluding tax etc.) with 1GB RAM. A 4GB version is available for $55. More information can be found here.



 Raspberry Pi 4 Model B - specs 
 - A 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 CPU (~3× performance)
- 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB of LPDDR4 SDRAM
- Full-throughput Gigabit Ethernet
- Dual-band 802.11ac wireless networking
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports
- Dual monitor support, at resolutions up to 4K
- VideoCore VI graphics, supporting OpenGL ES 3.x
- 4Kp60 hardware decode of HEVC video
- Complete compatibility with earlier Raspberry Pi products