What’s on tap from RISC-V in 2025? - Jon Peddie Research

Abstract

The analysis from Jon Peddie Research forecasts the critical trends and commercial trajectory of the RISC-V architecture expected throughout 2025. It predicts a significant push beyond embedded systems, focusing on higher-performance segments like data centers, automotive computing, and client devices. The report likely emphasizes the stabilization of key architectural extensions and the corresponding maturation of the necessary software ecosystem to drive mass adoption.

Report

Key Highlights

• Performance Market Penetration: 2025 is expected to see RISC-V IP aggressively target high-margin segments, including servers (data center CPUs) and premium client devices, moving beyond its traditional role in embedded microcontrollers.
• Toolchain Maturity: A major focus will be on the substantial improvement and optimization of the RISC-V software ecosystem, including operating system support (Linux, Android compatibility) and robust compiler performance comparable to established ISAs.
• Commercial Adoption: Major industry players are forecast to announce or ship high-volume RISC-V designs, accelerating its transition from a research interest into a mainstream commercial product.
• AI/ML Acceleration: Significant advancements in specialized RISC-V cores and integrated accelerators designed specifically for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning workloads are anticipated to hit the market.

Technical Details

• Extension Ratification: Key architectural extensions, such as the Vector (V) extension and potentially the P-extension (Packed SIMD), are expected to reach widespread ratification and stable implementation across vendor IP.
• Advanced Cores: The introduction of 64-bit, high-performance, out-of-order execution RISC-V cores that directly compete with mid-to-high-end offerings from proprietary architectures will be critical.
• Security Standards: Enhanced standardization and implementation of robust security features, including memory protection and trusted execution environments (TEEs), aimed at meeting strict automotive and data center requirements.
• Process Node Shrinks: Forecasts likely indicate the migration of premium RISC-V designs to cutting-edge process nodes (e.g., 5nm or below), demonstrating performance parity potential.

Implications

• Increased Competition: RISC-V's growth in 2025 heightens direct market competition with ARM, particularly as performance cores become commercially viable for smartphones, PCs, and cloud infrastructure.
• Supply Chain Resilience: The open nature of RISC-V enhances supply chain diversification, reducing reliance on single-source proprietary architectures and enabling faster regional semiconductor independence.
• Innovation in Domain-Specific Architectures (DSAs): The flexibility of the RISC-V ISA encourages chip designers to create highly customized, optimized processors for specific tasks (e.g., networking, specialized graphics processing) with unprecedented speed.
• Talent Demand: The rapid expansion of RISC-V products will significantly increase the demand for engineers and developers proficient in the architecture and its corresponding software stacks, driving ecosystem investment.