Prusa Research’s latest firmware update to V5.1.0 for the Original Prusa MK4, MK3.9, XL, and Mini has added a new G-code streaming function, along with a handful of other changes.

Depending on the file size, G-code can take upwards of 30 minutes to download onto Prusa’s latest hardware for printing. The company’s V6 Engine sample model, as an example, takes about 36 minutes to start according to Prusa’s own numbers. And that’s a sample suitable for the MK4; we don’t want to know how long files that take full advantage of the XL’s 360 x 360 x 360 mm build volume must take.

Now, however, users who prefer to send G-code over a network can use Prusa Connect to start any print job almost immediately after it uploads to Prusa’s cloud. It works by allowing prints to begin with only a “small portion” of a G-code file’s data downloaded to the machine, with the rest downloading during printing (with measures in place for network outages).

If you want to try the new G-code streaming feature for yourself, you’ll need to add your Prusa Machine as a “physical printer” in PrusaSlicer while selecting Prusa Connect under “host type”. Once connected, selecting “upload and print” when exporting G-code will stream the file.

The solution is creative and definitely effective, but we can’t help shaking our heads at how Prusa is once again implementing a creative software solution to make up for limited hardware. Comparable machines that come at lower costs often manage to skirt the problem of slow downloads entirely, allowing for local networking at reasonable speeds. That said, G-code streaming is a solution that handily surpasses the competition in speed for hardware both new and old, which we can’t help but applaud – smirking head shake and all.

Though sending files over the cloud may not be ideal for some users, it’s become something of a norm anyway. If you want to keep things local, you’ll have to stick to Prusa Link and long downloads for now.

In addition to G-code streaming, the update brings input shaping to the Prusa XL and Mini (previously introduced to the MK4 and MK3.9 in V5.0.0) and some interesting QOL changes, like a new binary G-code format for smaller and more efficient files. For all the details, check out Prusa’s V5.1.0 release notes.

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