Early in release cycle โ no urgency to wait
Best for: Makers and engineers who need reliable printing in ABS, ASA, PA, or carbon-fiber composites and want the best-value enclosed printer under $500.
Full details โMid-cycle โ watch for announcements before buying
Best for: Makers who want CoreXY speed and precision with Prusa's open-source ethos, community support, and long-term repairability โ without Bambu's closed ecosystem.
Full details โ| Qidi Tech Q2 | Prusa Research Core One | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Prosumer | Prosumer |
| Motion | CoreXY | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 270 ร 270 ร 256 mm | 250 ร 220 ร 270 mm |
| Max Speed | 600 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | โ 4 slots | โ No |
| Enclosure | โ | โ |
| Auto Calibration | โ | โ |
| Open Source | โ | โ |
| Upgrade Kit | โ | โ |
| Materials | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PA, PA-CF, PC | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PA, PC |
| Released | Aug 20, 2025 | Jan 14, 2025 |
| Cycle length | ~518 days | ~730 days |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Caution |
| Deals advice | Caution | Caution |
| Next model | โ | Core One S (enclosed) (Expected 2027) |
The Q2 actively heats the print chamber โ not just passively traps heat. This is the key differentiator for reliable ABS, ASA, PA-CF, and PC printing without warping.
Triple-stage filtration removes 99.5% of particulates and VOCs โ essential for printing ABS and ASA in a home or office environment.
Handles the full spectrum of engineering filaments including carbon and glass fiber composites without a hotend upgrade.
The Core One matches Bambu CoreXY speed (600 mm/s) while keeping everything open source โ firmware, hardware, slicing profiles.
Unlike Bambu's closed ecosystem, every component of the Core One can be modified, repaired, or community-improved.
Existing MMU3 units and the new MMU3 for Core One bring 5-color multicolor printing to the CoreXY platform.