Prusa Refreshes Its Entire Lineup With Free Upgrades for Existing Owners

Prusa quietly pulled off something most 3D printer companies never attempt: it refreshed its entire hardware lineup and gave existing owners the same upgrades for free. The new CORE One+ (Gen 2), CORE One L+, and XL+ all started shipping in mid-August 2026. Every current owner of a CORE One, CORE One L, or XL qualifies for a free upgrade path.

The Hardware Changes

The headline upgrade across all three refreshed models is the GT1.5 belt system. Prusa switched to wider, more precise belts that reduce fine-line artifacts on smooth vertical surfaces. Anyone who has spent time sanding ghosting off a print side will recognize the practical impact: cleaner parts straight off the bed.

The CORE One+ (Gen 2) gets the widest set of changes. Prusa redesigned the heatbed mounting to eliminate the "absorbing heat" delay that shows up at the start of PLA and PETG prints. For materials that need higher bed temperatures, the wait is shorter too. A new nozzle wiper cleans the nozzle before each print, reducing stringy first layers. The snap-on top panel from the CORE One L carries over, making maintenance access much faster.

The CORE One L+ receives the GT1.5 belt upgrade as its primary change. Because the L model already incorporated most of the CORE One+ improvements in its original design, this refresh is intentionally minimal. The upgrade kit for existing L owners costs just over $20.

The XL+ is Prusa's largest machine, and the changes here target print quality rather than convenience. A new 360-degree cooling solution distributes airflow more evenly around the nozzle, improving overhangs, bridges, and small details. Toolhead calibration is 20 times faster thanks to a permanently mounted sensor. High-flow nozzles ship as standard equipment.

Price and Availability

Prusa kept the prices flat despite the hardware additions. The CORE One+ (Gen 2) starts at $1,299 assembled. The CORE One L+ starts at $1,799. The XL+ starts at $2,199 depending on toolhead configuration. Open orders for the previous models automatically upgrade to the new versions with no action required from buyers.

Upgrade kits for existing owners are rolling out in stages. CORE One+ upgrade kits are shipping first. CORE One L+ and XL+ kits follow at the end of August and into September. Individual upgraded parts, including GT1.5 belts and the nozzle wiper, will also be available in the Prusa store for users who want to self-service the changes.

The Bigger Picture

What makes this refresh notable is not any single feature. It is the signal that Prusa still treats its printers as long-lived platforms rather than planned obsolescence vehicles. The CORE One was released in 2024. The MK3S, originally launched in 2018, still receives firmware updates and community support. That approach builds trust in a market where many competitors abandon older hardware within two years of a new model's release.

The upcoming INDX multi-material add-on, which turns a CORE One or CORE One+ into an 8-toolhead machine, is also fully compatible with the Gen 2 hardware. That means users who buy or upgrade now will not be blocked from future expansions. The INDX system starts shipping very soon, according to Prusa's blog post.

For anyone evaluating an enclosed CoreXY printer right now, the CORE One+ (Gen 2) is hard to ignore. The combination of active chamber heating up to 55 degrees Celsius, the improved first-layer workflow, and the open INDX upgrade path gives it a practical flexibility that most competitors in the $1,300 range do not match.