Raspberry Pi has released its first major x86 desktop operating system update in four years, skipping Debian 12 entirely to deliver a distribution based directly on Debian 13 “Trixie.” The update modernizes the operating system used to revive aging personal computers and Intel Macs, bringing them the same current desktop environment deployed across the vendor’s line of Arm single-board machines.
The updated distribution brings significant architectural constraints, shifting entirely to 64-bit x86-64 support. Because the build drops compatibility with older 32-bit processors, users running the previous release cannot perform an in-place software upgrade and must carry out a clean installation. The Register reports that the distribution supports compatible personal computers and Intel-powered Mac systems, but does not run on Apple Silicon hardware.
Software features in the new release match the current capabilities of the official Arm edition. It integrates the updated Wayland-based desktop and includes the Raspberry Pi Connect remote-control service. The underlying desktop originally grew out of LXDE and debuted under the name PIXEL, offering a lightweight user interface designed to limit memory and storage consumption. Unlike the edition that runs on the vendor’s Arm boards, the PC variant does not include the bundled edition of Mathematica.
The launch ends an extended lag in the desktop platform’s release cadence. Raspberry Pi has maintained an x86 edition for PCs and Intel Macs for a decade, but the previous major iteration arrived in the middle of 2022 on the Debian 11 “Bullseye” base. Although Debian 11 launched in 2021 and supported the PC distribution with regular patches for years, its official Long Term Support coverage concluded on August 31.
Development on the PC distribution skipped an entire major Debian release. In 2023, Raspberry Pi deployed Pi OS 5 based on Debian 12, introducing the Wayland-based graphical environment, but never provided a matching x86 version. Pi OS 6 subsequently launched on Arm hardware in October 2025 following the first point release of Debian 13. The x86 version followed a year later to achieve parity with the Arm operating system.
Although Raspberry Pi centers its primary commercial business on manufacturing and selling inexpensive Arm single-board computers, it continues supporting this custom operating system for standard desktop machines. While alternative distributions exist for the platform, the organization’s official software remains the primary choice for most Pi hardware owners. The Register reported that it had not yet conducted direct testing on the new release, with further technical evaluations planned.