Is the xTool P2S worth it in 2026?

Yes, for hobbyists and small-business makers who need real CO2 cutting power in a desktop footprint. It pairs a 55W CO2 tube with a 600×308mm bed, dual-camera placement, and enough throughput to cut roughly 18–20mm hardwood or 10mm clear acrylic in a single pass — something no diode laser can match. At $4,499 list (typically selling closer to $3,399), it's a serious investment, so buy it if you're past the diode stage and need clear-acrylic cutting or production-grade throughput; if you only engrave and mark, an enclosed diode like the xTool S1 saves thousands.

What's actually different between the xTool P2S and the original P2?

The P2S keeps the same core hardware as the P2 — a 55W CO2 tube and 600×308mm work area — so it's a refresh, not a redesign. What changed: xTool doubled X-axis acceleration (6,400 vs 3,200mm/s²), which speeds up detailed fill jobs with lots of direction changes; boosted air assist pressure roughly a third, for cleaner cuts and less charring; added a second exhaust fan for meaningfully better fume extraction; and refined the camera-alignment software. It also launched at a lower starting price than the P2 did. If you already own a P2, none of this is a compelling upgrade reason — but for a first CO2 purchase, the P2S is the better buy of the two.

How much does the xTool P2S cost?

List price is $4,499, but it regularly sells for around $3,399 through xTool's own bundle promotions and sales events — check current pricing before buying, since xTool runs frequent discounts on this machine. That undercuts the OMTech AF2028-60 by a bit less capacity for the money, but the P2S wins on camera-assisted placement and software polish, which matters more for makers doing varied one-off jobs than for shops running the same cut file repeatedly.

Can the xTool P2S cut clear acrylic and engrave glass?

Yes — this is the main reason to choose a CO2 machine like the P2S over any diode laser. The 55W tube emits at 10,600nm, a wavelength clear acrylic and glass absorb, so the P2S cuts clear/light acrylic cleanly and can engrave glass and stone. A diode laser's ~450nm blue beam passes straight through clear acrylic and glass instead of cutting them, which is the hard ceiling every diode machine on this site runs into.

xTool P2S vs OMTech Polar — which should I buy?

The P2S wins on camera precision and software polish — its dual 16MP cameras (0.3mm-rated placement accuracy) and refined alignment workflow make one-off, precisely placed jobs faster to set up. The OMTech Polar (50W) undercuts it by roughly $1,400 at a similar 600mm/s speed class and is the better pick if you're cutting the same file repeatedly and don't need camera-guided placement for every job. Buy the P2S for placement accuracy and workflow; buy the Polar to save money on raw cutting capability.

Does the xTool P2S need a chiller and outdoor venting?

It needs venting, but not a separate chiller. Like the original P2, the P2S uses an internal water-cooling loop for the tube rather than an external chiller unit, which simplifies setup compared to large-format tube machines like the OMTech AF2028-60. You still need to vent smoke outdoors through a 4-inch duct or run it through a fume extractor — CO2 cutting wood, acrylic, and leather produces real particulates that a desktop room can't just absorb.

xTool P2S Review 2026: Is the Refreshed 55W CO2 Laser Worth It?

Quick Answer: The xTool P2S is a 55W CO2 laser with a 600×308mm (23.6×12.1in) bed, dual 16MP cameras rated to 0.3mm placement accuracy, and speeds up to 600mm/s. It’s a refresh of the original xTool P2 — same tube and bed size, but 2x faster X-axis acceleration, ~33% stronger air assist, and a second exhaust fan for better fume clearing. List price is $4,499, typically selling closer to $3,399. Buy it if you need clear-acrylic cutting or production-grade CO2 throughput with camera-guided placement; if you only engrave and mark, the enclosed diode xTool S1 costs far less.

The xTool P2S has been the top pick across this site’s CO2 roundups — best CO2 laser engraver, best laser cutter, best xTool laser engraver — without a dedicated review of its own. This one covers exactly what changed from the original P2, what the machine actually cuts, and how it stacks up against its closest desktop CO2 rival, the OMTech Polar.

xTool P2S at a glance

Spec	xTool P2S	xTool P2 (original)
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
Cameras	Dual 16MP, 0.3mm-rated	Dual 16MP
Cut depth (single pass)	~18–20mm basswood, ~10mm clear acrylic	~18–20mm basswood, ~10mm clear acrylic
Price (2026)	$4,499 list, ~$3,399 typical	Discontinued (was ~$3,999)

xTool P2S 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 old P2 spent extra time ramping speed up and down.
The dual-camera system is rated to 0.3mm placement precision, per LasersCompare’s P2S spec sheet — tight enough to drop a design onto an odd-shaped scrap piece and trust the on-screen preview without a manual test cut first.
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 on lighter woods and acrylic.
The core 55W tube and 600×308mm bed are unchanged from the original P2, per LasersCompare, which calls the P2S “very similar to original P2 — not a major upgrade.” The real story is workflow and reliability refinements, not raw cutting capability.

What the xTool P2S does well

Real CO2 cutting power a diode can’t match. The 55W tube cuts roughly 18–20mm basswood and 10mm clear acrylic in a single pass — the clear-acrylic capability alone is the main reason to step up from any diode machine, since a diode’s blue beam passes straight through clear or light acrylic instead of cutting it.

Camera-guided placement that actually saves time. The dual 16MP camera system, now with sharper 0.3mm-rated accuracy and refined alignment software, lets you drop a design directly onto a photo of your material on screen — genuinely useful when engraving one-off or oddly shaped pieces rather than production runs of identical blanks.

Faster and cleaner than the machine it replaces. The doubled acceleration and stronger air assist aren’t marketing numbers — they show up as shorter job times on fill-heavy designs and less soot buildup around cuts, per third-party testing from Hobby Laser Cutters.

Check xTool P2S price on Amazon →

Running an engraving business rather than a hobby shop? A free Amazon Business account unlocks quantity discounts and tax-exempt purchasing on the acrylic, wood blanks, and tube replacements you’ll be buying regularly.

xTool P2S vs xTool P2 vs OMTech Polar

	xTool P2S	xTool P2 (original)	OMTech Polar (50W)
Power	55W CO2	55W CO2	50W CO2
Bed size	600×308mm	600×308mm	~500×300mm enclosed
Camera placement	Dual 16MP, 0.3mm-rated	Dual 16MP	Single camera
Max speed	600mm/s	600mm/s	~600mm/s
Price (2026)	$4,499 list / ~$3,399 typical	Discontinued	~$2,599

The P2S is now simply “the P2” as far as xTool is concerned — the original has been phased out of the lineup, so any current purchase is the refreshed version. Against the OMTech Polar, the tradeoff is straightforward: the Polar undercuts the P2S by roughly $1,400 at a similar power and speed class, but gives up the P2S’s sharper camera-placement accuracy and refined software. If you’re cutting the same file repeatedly for a production run, that camera advantage matters less; if you’re doing varied one-off engraving and cutting jobs, it’s worth the premium. For the full CO2 field, see our best CO2 laser engraver roundup, and if you’re still weighing CO2 against a diode machine, our diode vs CO2 laser breakdown covers exactly where the line is.

Where the xTool P2S falls short

It’s not a major leap over the P2 it replaced. Same tube, same bed — if you already own a P2, faster acceleration and stronger air assist alone rarely justify replacing a working machine.
Needs outdoor venting. The internal water-cooling loop means no separate chiller, but you still need a 4-inch exhaust duct outdoors or a fume extractor rated for CO2 volume.
Expensive relative to diode alternatives. At $3,399–$4,499, it costs several times what an enclosed diode like the xTool S1 runs — money only worth spending if you specifically need clear-acrylic cutting or CO2-level throughput.
Consumable tube. CO2 tubes wear out over roughly 1,000–10,000 hours depending on use; budget for eventual replacement, covered in our best CO2 laser tube replacement guide.

Who should buy the xTool P2S

The xTool P2S is the right choice for makers and small businesses who’ve outgrown a diode laser and need genuine CO2 cutting power — clear acrylic, glass engraving, thick hardwood — paired with camera-guided placement that speeds up one-off and irregularly shaped work. It’s not worth it if you already own a working P2 (the upgrade is incremental) or if your work is entirely engraving and coated-metal marking, where the enclosed xTool S1 covers the same ground for a fraction of the price. For the full CO2 lineup at every price point, see our best CO2 laser engraver and best laser cutter guides.

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