With the release of Snapdragon X Elite systems, ARM devices have started competing with the x64/x86 architecture in the consumer market. However, the RISC-V instruction set architecture is largely absent in the general computing ecosystem and is often relegated to niche devices.

Considering that it debuted just a decade ago, it’s no surprise that RISC-V is still in its infancy stage. That said, the new ISA has tremendous potential, and all it needs are these four essential factors before it can walk toe-to-toe with its rivals.

4 More operating systems

Imaging running RetroPie on a RISC-V board

So far, I’ve reviewed a handful of RISC-V devices on XDA. However, the lack of OS support beyond good ol’ Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora is a trend I’m not very fond of. While Debian remains one of my favorite Linux distributions for tinkering (and even general use), I’d love to see more specialized distros available for RISC-V boards.

Of course, certain distributions, like NixOS and Arch Linux, have started releasing beta versions designed for RISC-V systems. Sadly, they’re too prone to errors for even the most patient tinkerers – assuming your specific RISC-V processor can even boot into the OS!

3 Working drivers for PCIe cards

Especially GPUs

Story time: When I first received the Milk-V Jupiter for review, I was beyond ecstatic to test its PCIe slot with different devices. Fast-forward a couple of weeks, and I’d say that the driver support is still pretty lacking. Although my (SATA) SSDs worked like a charm when I used a PCIe-to-SATA expansion card, USB adapter cards had random disconnection issues.

Meanwhile, NICs and graphics cards are still a pipe dream because manufacturers haven’t released proper drivers for RISC-V systems. Considering even the open-source Nvidia GPU drivers don’t support this new ISA yet, a lot of work needs to be done on the driver front.

2 More consumer-grade devices

That aren’t just microcontrollers

If you’re an avid microcontroller enthusiast, you may have already used MCUs powered by RISC-V chips. Unlike the general computing landscape, RISC-V microprocessors have grown fairly prominent in the MCU space, with the ESP-C series and the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 being the more prominent systems powered by this open-source architecture.

Contrary to the microcontroller ecosystem, there’s a dearth of RISC-V boards in the general consumer market. VisionFive, Pine64, BeagleBoard, and Milk-V are pretty much the only brands that manufacture budget-friendly RISC-V SBCs and motherboards. With Framework dabbling in the RISC-V ecosystem through its upcoming DeepComputing Framework 13 motherboard, I hope we start seeing more manufacturers adopt this technology.

1 Better app support

I’d rather use bug-free apps, thank you

ARM systems such as the Raspberry Pi series are prone to the occasional incompatibility issue, though the situation is a lot worse on the RISC-V front. Assuming your favorite application has been ported to RISC-V, you’ll have to contend with low performance and weird bugs.

Couple the compatibility issues with the abysmally small pool of applications available for these systems, and it’s clear that the RISC-V ecosystem is in dire need of app developers who can take the momentum forward and release fully-functional ports of popular tools and services.

It’s still a long road ahead for RISC-V devices

Despite my criticisms, I’ll admit that the progress in the RISC-V scene is nothing short of impressive. Sure, devices like the Milk-V Jupiter and Duo-S have yet to hit their true potential, but it’s hard not to be amazed by the fact that the new ISA was released back in 2011. With more support from developers and large manufacturers, RISC-V may soon become a key player in the computing landscape.