Technologies

Creality Ender 5 S1 3D Printer Review: Merely Competent Among Standout Competition

A 3D printer that costs nearly $600 should really have better bed-leveling.

Despite some great innovations in 3D printing hardware and software in 2022, the new Ender 5 S1 from Creality doesn’t do much to push the envelope. It’s a decent printer, but needed more to really wow me.

7.0

Creality Ender 5 S1

$579 at Creality 3D

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Creality Ender 5 S1

Like

Stable physical design
Fast printing speed
Good quality prints

Don’t Like

Needs a lot of bed leveling
Lackluster design

At first glance, the $579 Ender 5 S1 ticks a lot of boxes. Based on the original Ender 5 from 2019, the S1 upgrades almost every piece of hardware to make this faster and more accurate than ever before. But taking a deeper look, a lot of what we see is decidedly middle of the road.

The build quality of this 3D printer is excellent, as I’d expect from the Ender line. All of the parts look and feel well-made. When you pick it up by the built-in handles, it has a heft that suggests a ruggedness that you don’t get from cheaper models. Unlike the Ender 3, the Ender 5 is a CoreXY machine, so the bed moves up and down, rather than in and out, so it’s much more stable at high speed.

Having an all-metal hot end and an extruder assembly that is direct-drive allows the S1 to handle a variety of different materials. The direct drive extruder makes it extremely easy to print with TPU — a flexible filament you can make rubbery phone cases from — and the all-metal hot end allows high-temperature filaments like ABS and PETG to be printed, too. High temperatures can destroy the small tube in a standard hot end, which would then need to be replaced after printing PETG or ABS for long periods.

The print quality of the Ender 5 S1 is surprisingly good at the speed it prints, which is faster than many similar printers. While it says it can print at 250 millimeters per second, that doesn’t tell the whole story, as the print speed is limited in the slicer to keep the quality high. Millimeters per second is used to measure how fast the print head can move while printing, as well as when no material is being extruded. It’s an abstract number based on factory defaults, so it isn’t always accurate when you get the 3D printer to your home.

I used a spider test print from E3D, which tests overhangs and bridging — both notoriously difficult at high speed — to test the Ender 5 S1. This file takes around 1 hour, 30 minutes to print on the Prusa Mk3s, a respectable time for one of the best 3D printers right now. The Creality slicer software included with the Ender 5 S1 estimates that same print at 1 hour, 9 minutes. If it was printing at the full 250 mm/s speed, it should be three times faster than the Prusa, but it isn’t. In comparison, the AnkerMake M5 — which also touts 250 mm/s print speeds — estimates the same model to be printed in 22 minutes. So while the Ender 5 S1 is faster than most printers, it isn’t as fast as the spec sheet promises.

Limiting the speed isn’t a bad idea, per se. After all, the balance between speed and quality is important for 3D printers and the quality here is very good even on stock settings. The CNET test print showed no sign of stringing, which surprised me. Stringing occurs when there isn’t time between each layer for the plastic to cool, so it oozes out in strings. This can occur when printers are too fast, but the Ender 5 S1 did a great job with all aspects of the test print.

I printed several Fotis Mint dragons, a skeletal hand and some lobsters, and they all came out looking excellent. This FlexiFactory dinosaur looks great, and all of his articulation works as it’s supposed to, though it did take me several attempts to get the first layer to stick correctly.

The Ender 5 S1 also comes with some advanced features, such as a filament runout sensor and power-off detection, though the auto-leveling system has advantages and drawbacks.

The auto-leveling still has a manual element and requires adjustment of the bed by tuning spring-loaded height adjustment wheels underneath. This means that the 3D printer is prone to losing its bed level after a few prints. While it might not seem like a big deal to keep releveling, it can be a pain and often leads to prints failing and materials lost. It also runs counter to the entire reason for auto-leveling, the removal of human error from the equation.

A year or two ago (and maybe $100 cheaper), the Ender 5 S1 would have floored me. But in a year when we’re seeing a lot of innovation in quality, features and price, it doesn’t stand out. If you can find it on sale for less than $450 it would be worth picking up, but there are better printers, like the $569 Anycubic Kobra Max — a printer with true auto-leveling and a giant print size — or the $799 AnkerMake M5, within a stone’s throw of the Ender 5 S1’s current price of $579.

Technologies

We May Know What the Next Nintendo Switch 2 Pokemon Game Will Be Called

A massive leak reveals potential details about the 10th generation of Pokemon games coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, including big changes.

A new Pokemon game, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, will be released for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on Thursday, but a recent leak might have revealed info about what’s coming next from the creators of the franchise. The names of the next games headed to the Switch 2, as well as some of the big changes to the Pokemon formula, may have been part of the leak.

The leak showed up on X Monday from the account Centro Leaks, as first spotted by Insider Gaming. Data about the upcoming games reportedly stems from a hack of the servers of the franchise developer Game Freak that happened in August 2024, referred to online as the Teraleak, that included the source code for the upcoming Pokemon Legenda: Z-A.

Among the information shared by the account was the possible name for what would be the 10th generation of Pokemon games that would come to the Switch 2 next year: Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Wave.

The Pokemon Company didn’t immediately respond to a request for confirmation about this leak.

Pokémon Gen 10:
Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Waves
Theme: Infinity
Directed by Shigeru Ohmori

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 13, 2025

According to the leak, Pokemon Wind/Wave is inspired by the Southeast Asia region and will feature a jungle-themed environment. It could also feature a new mechanic referred to as a Seed Pokemon, which is reportedly a special Pokemon that is heavily involved in the story and must be raised by the player. As it evolves, it will have a unique look that is procedurally generated, and once it’s fully evolved, it will allow the player to gain access to an island where they can find the main legendary Pokemon of the game.

The main theme of Pokemon Wind/Wave is the concept of infinity, according to the leak. This would match with the reported focus of procedurally generated content, not only with the special Seed Pokemon, but also with the islands of the game being procedurally generated, so each game is unique and could continue to grow with no end.

Also included in the leak were other details, including Pokemon on the overworld being interactable, weather affecting gameplay in some way, 18 new challenges for players instead of traditional gyms, and a few screenshots of the game in development that are still available to see at the PokeLeaks subreddit. There was also info that the 11th-generation Pokemon game could be released in 2030.

It is unlikely that Nintendo, The Pokemon Company or Game Freak will confirm the details of the leak. Expect to see the official announcement early next year, with the fall being the most likely release window for Pokemon Wind/Wave.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Oct. 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It includes both the first and last name of one of my favorite chefs of all time — maybe yours, too. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Chromebooks, but not MacBooks
Answer: PCS

4A clue: «Yippee!»
Answer: WAHOO

6A clue: Reveal, as juicy gossip
Answer: SPILL

7A clue: With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S.
Answer: JULIA

8A clue: Toss in
Answer: ADD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Toss in
Answer: PAPUA

2D clue: See 7-Across
Answer: CHILD

3D clue: State of matter for most elements at room temperature
Answer: SOLID

4D clue: Business-focused newspaper, for short
Answer: WSJ

5D clue: Hello, in Portuguese
Answer: OLA

Technologies

Want to Watch a Podcast? Netflix and Spotify Partner to Bring Video Podcasts to Streaming

Starting in early 2026, Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to watch select Spotify Studios and Ringer podcasts directly on the streaming platform.

Netflix and Spotify are teaming up to blur the line between streaming and podcasting. The two companies announced a new partnership that will bring a curated slate of Spotify’s top video podcasts, including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, to Netflix starting in early 2026. The goal is to make popular podcasts as watchable as TV, expanding both services’ reach into sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The deal marks Spotify’s most significant distribution push beyond its own platform, and for Netflix, it’s a new way to keep audiences engaged with talk-driven, low-cost programming. Early titles include The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers, among others. You can find the complete list here.

More shows and genres are expected to be added over time.

Netflix says the partnership complements its library of documentaries and talk shows, offering «fresh voices and new perspectives.» Spotify, meanwhile, described it as «a new chapter for podcasting,» giving creators access to Netflix’s global audience while expanding discovery for listeners who prefer watching podcasts.

The rollout will begin in the US early next year, with additional markets to follow in 2026.