Why RZ/G3E Caught Our Attention

At Somco Software, we evaluate new embedded platforms based on how well they fit real product development, not just what looks good on a datasheet.

Because we build embedded software, including software for medical devices, we pay attention to platforms that offer the right balance of performance, graphics and practical usability. What matters to us is whether a platform is ready for actual engineering work: responsive HMI, solid graphics support, enough compute headroom for demanding applications and an ecosystem that makes it realistic to move from evaluation to implementation.

That’s exactly why Renesas RZ/G3E caught our attention.

We had the chance to see this direction clearly at Embedded World 2026 , where Renesas presented a strong lineup of technologies for modern embedded systems. For us, RZ/G3E stood out because it connects directly with the kind of products we build every day: advanced HMIs, responsive interfaces, edge-ready processing and reliable platforms for real-world deployment.

We covered more of our impressions from the event in our separate article written by our Head of Operations - Vincent. You can find here: https://somcosoftware.com/en/blog/embedded-world-2026-demos-discussions-and-a-little-bit-of-byzantium

Renesas positions RZ/G3E as its latest general-purpose MPU for HMI applications with high-performance computing. The platform has a quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 , a Cortex-M33 , an Arm Mali-G52 GPU , video support, camera and display interfaces and an Ethos-U55 NPU for edge workloads. Renesas targets industrial HMI, industrial PCs, office equipment, smart retail and medical HMI - all very relevant to the kind of systems we build.

Evaluation Board and Adaptors

What also caught our attention was the strong peripheral support, particularly PCIe and USB3. From discussions with partners and teams working with SOM-based designs, these interfaces are increasingly seen as an important differentiator in this MPU class, especially for more demanding industrial and connected embedded systems.

Another important aspect is that the RZ/G3E family is not limited to a single configuration. Renesas offers multiple variants, including dual-core and quad-core options, different package configurations and versions with or without the integrated NPU. That flexibility makes the platform easier to scale across different product tiers and performance requirements.

At the same time, all variants include the platform’s core security and power-management capabilities, which are becoming increasingly important in modern embedded development and, in some markets, are already part of regulatory or customer requirements.

RZ/G3E-EVKIT

What stood out to us was not just that RZ/G3E is new. It’s that it looks like a platform built for teams creating real devices with modern user interfaces and serious processing needs. Renesas positions it as one of the first MPUs in this class to combine multi-core CPU performance with optional edge AI acceleration and rich HMI capabilities on a single platform. The platform supports multi-screen Full HD output, graphics, video and edge computing. For teams building more advanced embedded products, that’s a big deal.

We already knew the RZ family

Our view of RZ/G3E is shaped by our experience with earlier Renesas platforms, including RZ/G2L and RZ/V2L .

That matters because it gives us a practical reference point. We already know what these earlier platforms can do, so when we say RZ/G3E feels like a big step forward, we mean it from an engineering perspective. The RZ/G2L is still a good option for projects that need a balanced MPU platform with graphics and HMI. The RZ/V2L is especially interesting for more image- and vision-oriented designs where image quality, AI-assisted processing or camera-related workloads play a bigger role.

Seen from that perspective RZ/G3E is the natural next step for teams that need more performance, richer HMI and a platform that can handle more demanding embedded products.

RZ/G2L-SBC Board

This is more than an evaluation

What makes this especially important to us is that our interest in RZ/G3E is not limited to evaluation.

Our LumiLaser demo already runs on the latest RZ/G3E hardware. LumiLaser is a medical laser application developed by our team and it gives us a practical way to test the platform in a real embedded and medical-device context.

That’s the key point for us: RZ/G3E is not just interesting on paper . It’s already supporting a working demo that reflects the kind of applications we build and the level of complexity we care about.

Why it matters in practice

What we like most about RZ/G3E is the combination of three things.

First, it’s the latest in the Renesas MPU lineup for HMI and higher-performance embedded applications. Second, it has the mix of graphics, video, compute and edge processing that modern embedded systems need. Third, it looks like a platform that’s ready not just for evaluation but for building real products.

Equally important is that the platform combines those capabilities with modern connectivity, scalable product variants and integrated security and power-management features, which are becoming essential in long-life embedded systems.

From our point of view that makes it especially relevant for devices where user experience, responsiveness and system capability all matter at the same time — including industrial systems and medical devices.

Our takeaway

We already knew the earlier Renesas boards, which is exactly why RZ/G3E stood out so quickly.

For us its value is not just that it’s the latest platform in the family. What matters is that it looks ready for serious embedded development - and we’ve already been able to confirm that in practice by running our LumiLaser demo on it.

What makes the platform especially interesting is that it does not focus only on raw performance. The combination of HMI capabilities, connectivity, scalability, edge processing and system-level features makes it look like a platform designed with real product development in mind.