Raspberry Pi releases M.2 HAT+ Compact for Raspberry Pi 5
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched the M.2 HAT+ Compact — a smaller M.2 adapter for the Raspberry Pi 5 that allows installation of short 2230 NVMe SSDs inside the official Raspberry Pi 5 case. The board sits between the fan and the USB ports, making internal storage upgrades neater and fully compatible with the official case and fan assembly.
Key details
- Supports M.2 M-key 2230 form factor (30 mm length) only.
- PCIe x1 (PCIe 2.0) interface with practical throughput up to ~500 MB/s.
- Supplies up to 3 A to connected M.2 devices.
- Conforms to the Raspberry Pi HAT+ specification for automatic detection in Raspberry Pi OS.
- Includes mounting hardware (screws, spacers, ribbon cable, GPIO stacking header) for simple installation.
- Compact design fits inside the official Raspberry Pi 5 case between fan and USB ports without removing the fan.
Price & availability
The M.2 HAT+ Compact is available from Raspberry Pi and authorized resellers at around US$15. For official info and specs, see the Raspberry Pi announcement:
Raspberry Pi — M.2 HAT+ Compact on sale
Where to buy
Search for the product on Amazon (US) — affiliate search link:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Raspberry+Pi+M.2+HAT+Compact&tag=f1rede-20
Should you upgrade?
If you want compact internal NVMe storage inside the official Pi 5 case, the M.2 HAT+ Compact is a tidy, affordable solution. Note it only supports 2230 cards — if you need 2242 support, consider the larger M.2 HAT+.
Would you add an internal NVMe drive to your Pi 5? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources: Raspberry Pi Foundation product announcement and accessory documentation.