What's next for the MK4 line?
I've been a Prusa MK3/4 user for about six years, and I have two MK4S printers that run in tandem.
When the CORE One was announced, I had to make a choice of whether to upgrade. I chose not to for a few reasons:
1) The advantages over the MK4S were modest - slightly larger print volume, slightly faster printing, and theoretically improved print quality - and not worth the considerable cost to upgrade both of my MK4S printers.
2) The added complexity of CoreXY printers creates the possibility of more complicated troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair issues - especially relevant for an essentially brand-new printer line where the possibility of unforeseen technical issues is higher.
3) Perhaps most importantly, I wanted to preserve upgradability. One of my printers started life as a MK3S kit and has fully been upgraded to a MK3S+, MK4, and now MK4S. The other started out as a MK4 and is now a MK4S. I absolutely love this aspect of Prusa printers and wanted to ensure that I was ready to take the next steps, and I felt that the prospect of continued upgrades was stronger for the MK4S than the CORE One (again, complexity).
So instead of the CORR One upgrade kits, I bought the Prusa enclosure for both printers, which I really like but which also makes me feel like I've doubled down on the MK4S line.
But that was 18 months ago. Since then, the CORE One has gotten all of the attention, including the rapid introduction of the CORE One L, with literally no hardware announcements about the MK4 line. Yes, I am aware of the steady stream of firmware updates and new features, but honestly the practical improvements are very modest. I was hoping to see at least some buzz about a MK4S+ upgrade in 2025, but that now seems unlikely.
I'm growing concerned that I picked the wrong horse and will end up trading them for CORE One printers in 2026.
Any other MK4S owners struggling with assessing the future of the model line and making choices?