In 1974, Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik sat down with a handful of wooden blocks and a problem concerning 3D movement. Now, 50 years later, the same puzzle has a different shape. The Rubik’s WOWCube takes the classic design and fills it with screens, transforming idle rotations into entire games. Cubios, the firm behind this, collaborated with Spin Master, the current owners of the Rubik’s name, to make it official.
Cubios experimented with the concept a few years ago, but this is the refined version. Scaling down the standard 3×3 grid to a 2×2 yields a gadget that is comfortable to grasp while retaining the delightful click of layers moving past each other. Each of the six faces features four tiny LCD screens, for a total of 24 coloured displays. Twist one side, and the panels move like the original stickers, but now they rearrange pixels rather than plastic squares.
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Sensors within detect more than just the turns. Gyroscopes measure every tilt and sway, while accelerometers detect vibrations and taps. Hold it steady to halt a level, or flick it quickly to avoid a barrier – actions that feel natural after a few attempts. Speakers sound off with chiptune scores, and microphones could eventually take up speech commands, but for the time being, they mostly manage audio feedback. Bluetooth connects it to your phone for updates, and the built-in storage can handle over 100 apps without breaking a sweat. A 3600mAh battery lasts up to 5 hours on a full charge.
The WOWCube comes with famous names that have been modified to fit its hardware. Space Invaders scatters pixels across the faces, and each turn repositions your defenses as foes swarm from the edges. Cut the Rope dangles sweets from one screen to the next, slicing routes and turning layers to direct it over obstacles. 2048 combines numbers using complete body shakes rather than drags, allowing tiles to flow in any direction the cube points.
Beyond the games, the cube functions as a pocket dashboard. Widgets cycle through the weather on one face, while your calendar appears on another, all updated over Bluetooth from your phone. Tap twice to set a timer for the oven, or leave it idle with an aquarium screensaver that shows fish darting between panels as you roll it over. Stock tickers update in real time, and email notifications appear without taking you away from the action. Spin Master had the device validated by STEM.org, which acknowledges how these mechanics develop spatial skills—the same ones that drew kids to the original cube.
An open SDK encourages developers to create their own titles, including a developer portal that directly uploads to the app store. Early entries range from minimalist racers to abstract art generators, and the library will grow as more authors join in. The store itself is a companion app on your phone that allows you to browse free and paid downloads for $2 or $3 apiece.
Preorders begin today, October 9, for $299 on the official website, with delivery expected by Christmas. If you attend New York Comic Con this week, you might come across a demo stand where the team will be handing out units for hands-on time.