Prusa Core One Upgrade Path: What Existing Owners Need to Know

Prusa Research refreshed its entire desktop lineup in August 2026, retiring the CORE One, CORE One L, and XL in favor of the CORE One+ (Gen 2), CORE One L+, and XL+. The Czech manufacturer kept prices flat across the board and confirmed that upgrade paths exist for all current owners, not just new buyers.

What Changed in the Refresh

The updates are mostly mechanical, and they address annoyances that regular users flagged. Every refreshed model now ships with an integrated nozzle wiper. Prusa deliberately chose a standard, widely available consumable, so replacements are easy to source.

The new GT1.5 belts are the same across all three models. They reduce the faint vertical ripples that can show up on tall prints, especially on large flat surfaces. Prusa noted that several belt improvements came directly from community experimentation, so this one genuinely listens.

The biggest practical change for CORE One+ owners is the removal of the pre-warming pause that previously ran before PLA and PETG prints with a bed temperature of 85 °C or lower. Prusa says this cuts the wait before the first layer starts by up to ten minutes. That matters when you want to confirm a print has begun properly before leaving the house.

The CORE One+ (Gen 2) also gains a snap-on top panel that removes in seconds without tools. The original CORE One used fasteners for the top cover, so this is a genuine quality-of-life improvement for anyone doing regular maintenance or cleaning.

What the XL+ Gets

The XL+ receives the most substantial hardware changes. A new 360-degree cooling system matches the airflow of the MK4S and CORE One series, improving overhangs, bridges, and small details. The old calibration pin is gone: a permanently mounted eddy-current Tool Offset Sensor aligns every toolhead in a fraction of the time. Prusa says it is about twenty times faster than the removable pin it replaces.

High-flow nozzles are now standard, and the enclosure is better sealed. On waste heat alone, it can reach around 50 °C. With the optional chamber heater, it hits 60 °C, which makes a real difference for large PC Blend and PCCF parts and big boxy PETG prints.

Upgrade Path for Existing Owners

If you already own a CORE One, CORE One L, or XL, Prusa says upgrade kits are coming. The XL upgrade kit is priced at €249. Core One+ and Core One L+ upgrade components are being released separately, with CORE One+ upgrades shipping first, followed by CORE One L+ and XL+ upgrades around late August through September.

Individual parts from the refresh are also available separately in the Prusa store, so you do not have to wait for a complete kit if you only want the nozzle wiper or new belts.

If you had an open order for a CORE One, CORE One L, or XL that had not shipped yet, Prusa automatically upgraded it to the corresponding new version. No action was required from the buyer.

Existing printers will continue receiving firmware updates, PrusaSlicer improvements, print profiles, spare parts, and support. Prusa frames this as part of its core philosophy: a Prusa should not become obsolete just because a newer version exists.

What Is Coming Next

Several products tied to the refresh are still in the pipeline. The INDX automatic tool-changing conversion kit for the CORE One+ is shipping very soon, and it is fully compatible with the Gen 2 hardware. If you already have an INDX kit on order, Prusa recommends waiting for an upcoming announcement before ordering the Gen 2 hardware.

The HT Hotend, designed for high-temperature engineering materials, arrives in September. It will fit the CORE One L/+, CORE One/One+/One+ (Gen 2), and the XL/XL+.

Prusa Connect Local, a replacement for PrusaLink that runs entirely on your local network, is entering early access soon. It is being built as an open, multi-protocol system, and Prusa is inviting technically comfortable users to sign up for the first testing round.

For owners who do not need the full upgrade kit, firmware updates alone will bring some Gen 2 improvements to older machines. The pre-warming skip and nozzle wiper functionality will arrive via firmware where the hardware supports it.