Fact · Speech recognition
Espressif says its WakeNet9s wake word model can run on chips that have no PSRAM and no SIMD support, such as the ESP32-C3 and ESP32-C5.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“We add a new model WakeNet9s, which can run on chips that do not have PSRAM and do not support SIMD”
esp-sr speech recognition components: README (version 2.6.0), Espressif Systems, Espressif Systems, ESP Component Registry, 2026, News (2025/04/21).
Open the original- What it measures
- PSRAM is extra memory on a chip module. SIMD is a set of instructions that speed up the math in neural networks. The note is a dated entry in the esp-sr changelog, and it applies to wake words, not to command lists or dictation.
- What it does not show
- This covers only wake word detection, the single phrase that starts listening. It does not show that the chip can recognize a list of commands or open speech.