It's definitely something I need to look into more thoroughly that's for sure.
Not sure how you can so confidently say they can't compete when volume is key to getting the cheapest prices. The easiest way to turn a profit in 3D printing is to sell blueprints/templates not selling actual product.

Like crypto, these things are inefficient but at a certain point that inefficiency stops mattering and a breakaway occurs. None of this has any relevance to if legacy players find a use for the tech or not.