Espressif Just Released Its Biggest ESP32 Upgrade Yet, And It Changes Everything
The world of embedded systems just received one of the largest hardware announcements in years. The Chinese company who produce the very popular and cheap ESP32 microcontrollers family, Espressif Systems, have announced the ESP32-S31, a new generation wireless SoC with some of the biggest architectural changes the ESP has ever seen.
Espressif is ditching its long-used Xtensa architecture with RISC-V cores for the first time, rolling out Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, enhanced Bluetooth support, and native support for next-generation IoT protocols such as Matter, Thread and Zigbee, all in one chip. For embedded developers, IoT makers, and just about anybody building on the ESP32-S3 today, there's one question that immediately springs to mind: Should you upgrade? In this blog, you find all the details on the new ESP32-S31 and find out if this key upgrade makes sense in your next project.
What is the ESP32-S31?
The ESP32-S31 is a new member of Espressif's popular ESP32 microcontroller family. Designed by Espressif Systems, the radical new chip from the global leader in affordable wireless microcontrollers that takes the S-series line into the realm of highly demanding performance oriented IOT and edge applications computing.
The new chip, which is positioned as a replacement to the ESP32-S3, was announced in March 2026, and development boards are expected around May 2026. In contrast to the earlier ESP32 chips, which were mainly focused on the low-power IoT and wireless connectivity space, the S31 aims at more rigorous applications such as IoT gateways, smart audio, HMI interfaces, edge AI processing, and forward-thinking smart home hubs.
ESP32-S31 Specifications: Complete Chip Breakdown
The ESP32-S31 introduces several major hardware upgrades. Here is a full breakdown of what the chip offers and what each improvement means in practical development.
Dual-Core RISC-V Processor at 320 MHz
The biggest architectural shift is the move from Xtensa LX7 cores to a dual-core RISC-V processor running at 320 MHz. This gives developers access to an open instruction set architecture and better long-term ecosystem support.
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Unlike the ESP32-S3, which used Wi-Fi 4, the S31 introduced Wi-Fi 6 support, improving network efficiency, reducing power consumption, and enabling better performance in crowded network environments.
Bluetooth 5.4 Support
The chip supports Bluetooth 5.4 with both LE Audio and Classic Bluetooth (BR/EDR). This makes it significantly more powerful for smart audio devices, wearables, and wireless accessories.
IEEE 802.15.4 Support
Native IEEE 802.15.4 support allows direct implementation of Thread and Zigbee protocols, making the chip highly relevant for smart home and industrial IoT ecosystems.
Gigabit Ethernet MAC
One of the most surprising additions is Gigabit Ethernet MAC, something missing from recent ESP chips. This allows both wired and wireless networking on the same microcontroller.
60 GPIO Pins
The ESP32-S31 increases total GPIO availability from 45 pins on the S3 to 60 GPIO pins, giving developers far more flexibility when working with displays, sensors, peripherals, and industrial systems.
512 KB SRAM + High-Speed PSRAM Support
The chip comes with 512 KB SRAM while supporting external PSRAM at speeds up to 250 MHz, improving memory handling for large applications and AI workloads.
Hardware JPEG Codec + 2D Graphics Accelerator
Dedicated hardware JPEG decoding and a built-in 2D graphics accelerator improve performance for camera applications, LCD interfaces, HMI systems, and display-heavy embedded devices.
The Biggest Changes Compared to ESP32-S3
The ESP32-S31 is not a minor refresh. It represents one of the biggest platform shifts Espressif has introduced in years.
1. RISC-V Replaces Xtensa Architecture
For years, Espressif relied on proprietary Xtensa processor cores. The S31 changes that by moving to RISC-V, an open-source processor architecture rapidly gaining popularity across the semiconductor industry.
For developers, this means broader compiler support, improved community tooling, greater transparency, and better long-term ecosystem development.
As more semiconductor companies adopt RISC-V, learning this architecture will become increasingly important for embedded engineers.
2. Gigabit Ethernet Finally Returns
Recent ESP32 chips focused almost entirely on wireless communication, but many industrial and gateway applications still require stable wired networking.
The addition of Gigabit Ethernet MAC allows developers to build devices that support both Ethernet and Wi-Fi simultaneously without requiring external controllers.
This opens opportunities in industrial automation, enterprise IoT systems, smart gateways, and network infrastructure devices.
3. Matter and Smart Home Support Out of the Box
The future of smart home development is moving toward Matter, the universal communication standard supported by companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung.
Because the ESP32-S31 includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and IEEE 802.15.4, it becomes one of the most future-proof microcontrollers for smart home development.
Developers building connected home devices no longer need multiple chips for Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi communication.
ESP32-S31 vs ESP32-S3: Which One is Better?
This is the comparison most developers are waiting for.
| Feature | ESP32-S31 | ESP32-S3 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Architecture | Dual-Core RISC-V | Dual-Core Xtensa LX7 |
| CPU Speed | 320 MHz | 240 MHz |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet MAC | Not Available |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Smart Home Protocols | Thread + Zigbee | Limited External Support |
| GPIO Pins | 60 | 45 |
| Memory | 512 KB SRAM + 250 MHz PSRAM | Lower PSRAM Support |
| Graphics | JPEG Codec + 2D Accelerator | Basic Graphics |
| Availability | Early Samples | Mass Production |
From a hardware perspective, the ESP32-S31 clearly outperforms the ESP32-S3 in almost every category.
Best Use Cases for ESP32-S31
The ESP32-S31 is designed for applications that need more performance, better connectivity, and future-proof protocol support.
1. IoT Gateways
Devices that need both wired Ethernet and wireless Wi-Fi connectivity will benefit significantly from the new networking stack.
2. Smart Speakers and Audio Devices
Bluetooth 5.4 with LE Audio support makes the S31 ideal for next-generation wireless speakers, voice assistants, and smart audio systems.
3. HMI Panels and Smart Displays
The built-in 2D graphics accelerator, JPEG codec, and additional GPIO pins make the chip excellent for LCD touch panels and industrial display interfaces.
4. Edge AI Applications
High-speed PSRAM support combined with improved processing power makes the S31 suitable for lightweight machine learning inference at the edge.
5. Matter Smart Home Hubs
Because it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and Zigbee simultaneously, developers can build universal smart home hubs using a single chip.
Should You Switch From ESP32-S3 Right Now?
This is the most important question.
If you are starting a new embedded or IoT project in late 2026 or beyond, designing directly for the ESP32-S31 makes sense. The chip introduces better networking, modern processor architecture, future-proof communication standards, and significantly improved performance.
However, if you already have an existing ESP32-S3 production project, switching immediately may not be the best idea.
There are several reasons.
The development ecosystem for the S31 is still early. Arduino support is not fully integrated yet, development libraries are still maturing, and public pricing has not been officially announced.
For most engineers, the practical answer is simple:
- New projects → Move toward ESP32-S31
- Existing S3 products → Stay with ESP32-S3 for now
A simple way to think about it:
ESP32-S31 is the future. ESP32-S3 is the present.
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The Launch of the ESP32-S31 Indicates Where the Embedded Systems Industry Is Going FASTER Wi-Fi/BLE, Smarter IoT Devices, Edge AI Processing, and RISC-V-based modern processors.
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