A new voice assistant has entered the scene, designed to prioritize local control and privacy, eliminating the need to communicate with large corporate servers. This week, the Home Assistant platform, widely favored by smart home enthusiasts, introduced its first-ever dedicated voice assistant hardware, the Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition (Voice PE).
Priced at $59, Voice PE is a compact, plug-and-play device tailored for the open-source Home Assistant ecosystem. It offers a privacy-centric, locally controlled voice assistant that seamlessly integrates with the platform. Users can issue commands like “Turn on the living room lights,” “Lock all the doors,” or “Set a five-minute timer” to control their connected smart devices.
Previously, Home Assistant users could manage their smart homes via voice using Assist on less capable third-party hardware or through cloud-based integrations with platforms such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Voice PE, however, is Home Assistant’s first proprietary voice-enabled device, designed to function without relying on external ecosystems.
Voice PE represents the culmination of Home Assistant’s “Year of the Voice” initiative, spearheaded by Nabu Casa, the organization behind the platform. This initiative focused on empowering users to control their homes locally, privately, and in their preferred language. Impressively, Voice PE supports over 50 languages—far outpacing Alexa’s eight and Google Assistant’s 20.
The device itself is a small, palm-sized white box equipped with dual microphones and an audio processor. It includes an internal speaker for audio feedback, although users can opt for higher-quality playback by connecting an external speaker via a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The device is powered by USB-C (charger and cable not included) and features a physical mute switch, ensuring added privacy. A Grove port allows users to attach sensors or additional accessories, enhancing the device’s functionality.
Voice PE comes with several built-in wake words: “Okay Nabu,” “Hey Jarvis,” and “Hey Mycroft.” For those who prefer personalization, custom wake words can also be programmed. A colored LED ring at the top of the device indicates when it’s actively listening, while a rotary dial and a physical button on the top allow for manual interaction. The button can be customized to perform specific tasks, further reflecting Home Assistant’s ethos of flexibility.
Users can operate the assistant entirely offline using Home Assistant hardware, such as the Home Assistant Green hub. Alternatively, it can leverage the Home Assistant cloud, which offers faster response times and supports additional languages. Importantly, Nabu Casa emphasizes that no data is stored in the cloud or used for training purposes, maintaining a strong focus on privacy.
For those wary of always-listening microphones from major companies like Amazon and Google, Voice PE presents an appealing alternative. It offers the convenience of voice-controlled smart homes without compromising user data. However, it may take some time before Voice PE can fully replace established smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Nest.
Home Assistant superuser Callie Wright from The Verge tested Voice PE and praised its capabilities, despite some challenges with background noise. Wright notes that while Amazon’s Alexa remains their go-to assistant for certain advanced tasks, they are optimistic about Voice PE’s potential. “The progress Home Assistant has made in its Year of the Voice is incredible,” Wright remarked. “I’m more hopeful than ever that the future of local voice control is coming.”
Paulus Schoutsen, founder of Home Assistant, acknowledges that Voice PE is not yet a complete replacement for “Big Tech” assistants, which is why it’s being launched as a Preview Edition. “For some, our voice assistant’s current capabilities will be all they need—setting timers, managing shopping lists, and controlling frequently used devices,” Schoutsen explains. “For others who want features like whale sound effects or celebrity trivia, our assistant doesn’t do those things… yet.”
While Voice PE aims to rival mainstream voice assistants, users seeking advanced features can integrate it with AI models like ChatGPT or Gemini. This allows the assistant to handle complex queries or act as a fallback for commands it doesn’t recognize.
For many smart home enthusiasts, however, the simplicity and affordability of Voice PE are its primary attractions. It offers a straightforward, privacy-focused solution for essential commands like turning lights on and off or setting timers, all without requiring an internet connection. This marks a significant step toward a more user-controlled, secure smart home ecosystem.