If you’ve ever wrestled a fresh Raspberry Pi into a Wi‑fi network just to get SSH access, you know the ritual: edit wpa_supplicant, enable SSH, hope the image actually applied. Some setups go smoothly. Others... not so much. Raspberry Pi OS now includes something that should simplify the worst of those mornings: built‑in USB gadget support that makes a Pi appear as a network adapter when plugged into a host computer — and you can SSH to it over the same cable that powers it.
SSH over USB: how it works
The new rpi‑usb‑gadget package exposes a Raspberry Pi in gadget mode so a connected host (Windows, macOS, Linux) sees the board as an Ethernet device. From the host’s point of view the Pi is just another network interface. From your point of view you get a reliable, local SSH session without having to fuss with Wi‑Fi, headless network quirks, or Bluetooth pairing.
You can enable gadget mode from the Raspberry Pi Imager before first boot. Once the Pi is the host on that tiny USB network you can SSH into it with the usual credentials. The host can also share its internet connection with the Pi via Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), though Windows users may need to install an extra driver to get ICS working smoothly.
A few important caveats: gadget mode turns the selected USB port into a power input and a USB network port. That port won’t act as a host for keyboards, flash drives, or other peripherals while gadget mode is active. Also remember that you’re exposing the Pi as a networked device to whatever machine it’s plugged into — treat unfamiliar hosts with the same caution you would any network.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because similar tricks have existed for a while via OTG modes on earlier Pis. What’s new is the polish: rpi‑usb‑gadget is packaged and distributed with Raspberry Pi OS to make the whole flow less fiddly than past DIY workarounds. You can read the official writeup from the Raspberry Pi team for setup details and notes on compatibility here: USB gadget mode in Raspberry Pi OS.
A small hardware surprise: an official Raspberry Pi flash drive
Not content with boards and HATs, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has also shipped a branded USB flash drive aimed at Pi users: compact aluminum casing, 3D NAND QLC, and a pseudo‑SLC cache to improve write performance. It’s positioned more like a bootable companion for Pi systems than a generic thumb drive, with features the Foundation says mimic SSD behavior — TRIM support, S.M.A.R.T. telemetry, and validation against sudden power loss.
Two capacities are listed: a 128 GB model rated up to ~75 MB/s and a 256 GB variant rated up to ~150 MB/s, priced (in announced materials) at roughly $30 and $55 respectively. If you want to eyeball availability or pricing, you can check latest price.
Why this matters
Between built‑in USB gadget mode and a Pi‑targeted flash drive, the Foundation is making headless setups and portable storage a little less painful. Gadget mode is especially useful for people setting up Pis in environments where Wi‑Fi is unreliable, captive portals block quick provisioning, or strict networks make WPA/EAP provisioning a headache. Instead of attaching a monitor and keyboard, you can plug the Pi into your laptop, get a clean network link, and finish configuration over SSH.
There are still rough edges. Some users report hiccups with Raspberry Pi Imager’s customization path (credentials or settings occasionally failing to apply), and Windows ICS sometimes needs extra drivers. But packaged support for USB gadget networking removes a lot of the rote fiddling. For field techs, students, and makers who swap Pi images frequently, that’s a small but meaningful quality‑of‑life gain.
If you’re about to try it: enable gadget mode in the Imager, plug the Pi into a host with a good USB cable, confirm the host recognized a new Ethernet adapter, and SSH in. For internet access on the Pi, enable ICS on the host (or plug the Pi into a router as usual).
Raspberry Pi’s moves here are quietly pragmatic: little improvements that don’t grab headlines but make daily tinkering smoother. Sometimes the best upgrades are the ones that spare you minutes — and in the world of fifty little config steps, minutes add up fast.