Prusa Research has long been the king of open-source, precision 3D printers, but it has recently been faced with heavy competition from newcomer Bambu Lab. Bambu’s X1 Carbon dominating the CoreXY space helped them gain nearly 26% of the market share. Prusa’s new offering, the Core One, is a direct competitor to the X1 Carbon and features much of what makes Prusa so beloved by the 3D printing community while bringing the price and feature set into parity with today’s modern 3D printers.
Prusa has traditionally made 3D printers, like the Mk4/Mk4s, with a build plate that moves forward and back — colloquially known as a bed slinger. Core One, though, is a CoreXY machine, so the bed only moves up and down. This allows for greater stability and improved speed while maintaining the excellent print quality Prusa is known for. The 360-degree cooling fan also helps maintain the quality of the print by reducing ugly overhangs, and the enclosure is designed to keep the part at the right temperature regardless of the material you use. The high-flow nozzle and unique extruder make it fast, precise and capable of printing a lot of different materials at speed.
Core One has a significantly smaller footprint than the Mk4s, 30% smaller, while also increasing the print area by 30%. The print area is 270 x 250 x 220, bringing it closer to the other CoreXY machines available right now. Like most modern 3D printers, Core One can connect directly to your WiFi for monitoring and sending models to print, but it can also run completely offline for those more security-minded.
“While the CORE One may look different, it still adheres to our philosophy—it’s robust, reliable, and built to last for years. Users can still disassemble it with just a screwdriver.” Prusa said in a blog post announcing the Core One. Open source and the ability to fix your 3D printer yourself is always a plus. The solid steel construction also uses plastic parts that are easily replaceable over the years.
There is some good news if you recently bought a Prusa MK4 or MK4S and fear missing out. Many of the internals from those printers can be used to make the Core One. To that end, Prusa will be selling an upgrade kit to allow you to make your own Core One from the bones of your Mk4S. Right now, that kit isn’t available, but you can preorder the Core One for $1,199 fully assembled or $949 for a self-assembly kit, with delivery expected in early January 2025 for the fully assembled machine.