Is the xTool P2 or P2S better?

The P2S, and it's not close to a fair fight anymore — xTool discontinued the original P2 in 2026, so the P2S is the only one of the two you can still buy new. Where they overlap, the P2S wins outright: xTool doubled X-axis acceleration to roughly 6,400mm/s², raised air assist pressure from about 150kPa to 200kPa, added a second exhaust fan, and sharpened the dual-camera placement accuracy to 0.3mm. Both share the same 55W CO2 tube and 600×308mm bed, so cutting capability is identical — the P2S is simply a faster, cleaner-running version of the same machine.

Can I still buy the xTool P2?

Not new from xTool — the original P2 has been discontinued and replaced by the P2S in xTool's current catalogue. You may still find open-box or secondhand P2 units through resellers or marketplace listings, sometimes at a discount versus the P2S's $4,499 list price. If you find one, it's a legitimate 55W CO2 machine with the same cutting power as the P2S, just without the acceleration, air-assist, and cooling improvements — a reasonable buy only if the discount is meaningful, since parts and support increasingly point buyers toward the current model.

What is actually different between the xTool P2 and P2S?

Four concrete changes, all workflow and reliability rather than raw cutting power: X-axis acceleration doubled from about 3,200mm/s² to 6,400mm/s², which speeds up detail-heavy fill jobs with lots of direction changes; air assist pressure rose roughly a third (about 150kPa to 200kPa), clearing smoke and debris faster for less charring; a second exhaust fan was added for meaningfully better fume extraction; and the dual 16MP camera system was refined to a tighter 0.3mm placement rating. The 55W CO2 tube and 600×308mm work area are unchanged.

Does the P2S cut faster than the P2?

Top engraving speed is the same on paper — both are rated to 600mm/s (36,000mm/min) — but the P2S finishes real jobs faster because of its doubled X-axis acceleration. On simple straight cuts the difference is small, but on detailed designs with lots of direction changes, the P2's slower ramp-up and ramp-down between moves adds real time that the P2S's 6,400mm/s² acceleration avoids.

Is the xTool P2S worth the upgrade if I already own a P2?

No, not on its own. If you already own a working P2, the P2S's faster acceleration, stronger air assist, and extra exhaust fan are real but incremental — not enough to justify replacing a machine that cuts the identical 18–20mm wood and ~10mm clear acrylic. The P2S is the better buy only for a first CO2 purchase, where there's no reason to seek out the discontinued original when the refreshed version launched at a lower starting price.

xTool P2 vs P2S 2026: What Actually Changed (And Which to Buy)

Quick Answer: The xTool P2S has replaced the xTool P2 — xTool discontinued the original P2 in 2026, so the P2S ($4,499 list, typically about $3,399) is the only one of the two currently sold new. Both share the identical 55W CO2 tube and 600×308mm bed, so cutting capability is the same; the P2S adds 2x faster X-axis acceleration (roughly 6,400 vs. 3,200mm/s²), about 33% stronger air assist, a second exhaust fan, and tighter 0.3mm-rated camera placement. Buy the P2S for any new purchase — there’s no reason to hunt for a discontinued original at the same or higher price.

If you’re searching “xTool P2 vs P2S,” you’ve probably run into old reviews, forum threads, or listings that still treat these as two separate current products. They aren’t anymore. xTool folded the P2 into the P2S refresh during 2026, and the two machines share the exact same 55W CO2 tube and 600×308mm work area — this comparison exists to clear up what actually changed between them and settle whether a leftover P2 is still worth chasing.

xTool P2 vs P2S at a glance

Spec	xTool P2S	xTool P2 (original)
Availability (2026)	Current model	Discontinued
Laser type	55W CO2	55W CO2
Work area	600×308mm (23.6×12.1in)	600×308mm (23.6×12.1in)
Max speed	600mm/s (36,000mm/min)	600mm/s (36,000mm/min)
X-axis acceleration	~6,400mm/s²	~3,200mm/s²
Air assist	~200kPa	~150kPa
Exhaust fans	Dual, in series	Single, non-removable
Camera accuracy	Dual 16MP, 0.3mm-rated	Dual 16MP
Cut depth (single pass)	18–20mm basswood, ~10mm clear acrylic	18–20mm basswood, ~10mm clear acrylic
Price	$4,499 list, ~$3,399 typical	Was ~$3,999 before discontinuation

What actually changed, by the numbers

X-axis acceleration doubled to roughly 6,400mm/s², per Hobby Laser Cutters’ P2S review — that mainly speeds up detail-heavy fill jobs with lots of direction changes, where the original P2 spent extra time ramping speed up and down on every turn.
Air assist pressure rose about a third, roughly 150kPa to 200kPa, per Hobby Laser Cutters — higher pressure clears smoke and debris from the cut line faster, which reduces charring and re-deposited soot, especially on lighter woods and acrylic.
The core 55W tube and 600×308mm bed carried over unchanged, per LasersCompare’s P2S spec sheet, which is why cut depth and top speed are identical on both machines — the refresh targeted workflow and reliability, not raw cutting power.
The dual-camera system moved to a 0.3mm placement rating, tighter than the original P2’s camera accuracy — enough to drop a design onto an odd-shaped scrap piece and trust the on-screen preview without a manual test cut first.

Why the P2 is even in this comparison

The original xTool P2 launched first and built the reputation this line trades on — a genuinely capable 55W desktop CO2 machine with dual-camera placement, at a time when most desktop CO2 options topped out around 40W. It’s still referenced across dozens of older reviews and buying guides, including our own best CO2 laser engraver and best laser cutter roundups, which is why “P2 vs P2S” keeps showing up as a live search — buyers assume both are still on the shelf. They’re not: xTool discontinued the P2 during its 2026 catalogue refresh, and the P2S took its exact slot and price tier.

Should you buy a secondhand P2?

If you come across an open-box or used P2 at a real discount, it’s not a bad machine — the 55W tube, 600×308mm bed, and cut depth (18–20mm basswood, ~10mm clear acrylic) match the P2S exactly, so you lose none of the actual cutting capability. What you give up is the P2S’s doubled acceleration on detail work, the stronger air assist, the second exhaust fan, and the tighter camera calibration — all real quality-of-life upgrades, none of them dealbreakers. The math only works if the used P2 is meaningfully cheaper than a new P2S; at the same price, there’s no reason to choose the discontinued model.

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Head-to-head by need

If you want…	xTool P2S	xTool P2 (original)
To buy new today	Yes — current model	Not sold new
Fastest detail-heavy jobs	Best — 6,400mm/s² accel	Slower ramp-up/down
Cleanest cuts, least charring	Best — ~200kPa air assist	~150kPa air assist
Tightest camera placement	0.3mm-rated	Less precise
Raw cut depth / power	Tied — same 55W tube	Tied — same 55W tube
Lowest possible price	~$3,399 typical	Used/clearance only

The bottom line

Buy the xTool P2S. The original P2 is discontinued, the P2S occupies its exact price and capability tier, and every hardware change — doubled acceleration, stronger air assist, a second exhaust fan, sharper camera calibration — is a straight upgrade with no tradeoff. A used P2 is only worth chasing at a real discount, since the underlying 55W tube and 600×308mm bed cut identically either way. For the full standalone reviews, see our xTool P2 review and xTool P2S review; if you’re still deciding between brands rather than models, our OMTech vs xTool and Glowforge vs xTool comparisons cover the wider field, and the best xTool laser engraver guide ranks the whole current lineup.