Something to look forward to: For most of the past 51 years, a "simple" puzzle box has been enough to make the Rubik's Cube an enduringly popular and notoriously difficult toy for both kids and adults. Now, another company is taking the concept further with digital games and apps.
Cubios Inc. is now taking pre-orders for the WOWCube, a 2x2x2 variant of the Rubik's Cube with IPS screens on each square, letting it double as a portable gaming device. Starting at $299, the company plans to begin shipments during the holidays.
The 70x70x70mm cube consists of eight modules, each containing three screens and its own CPU. Together, the modules run games and apps across all 24 screens through a distributed computing system. With no buttons, users control the software by rotating the modules like a Rubik's Cube.
The app store currently offers about 100 games, some free and others costing a few dollars. The highlights include unique takes on Space Invaders and 2048. Other apps include a stopwatch, a digital aquarium, a cubic globe, and a chess timer. The developers also promote the device for educational use.
Notably, one paid title is an enhanced beginner version of the traditional Rubik's Cube puzzle. The screens display scores based on the time and number of twists needed to solve the puzzle. Leaderboards are supported, and the screens can rearrange the colors to reset the game if players get stuck.
An earlier version of the WOWCube debuted a few years ago, featuring a unique operating system and a small app library. The upcoming version comes from a partnership with Spin Master, which acquired the original Rubik's Cube brand in 2021.
The scratch- and fingerprint-resistant screens display 240x240 pixels each, giving a total resolution of 480x480 per side. The 3,600 mAh rechargeable battery provides up to seven hours of gameplay, depending on use.
The device also includes Bluetooth, gyroscopes, and eight speakers. It ships with a Wi-Fi-connected docking station featuring more than two dozen pre-installed games, external SD-MMC storage, and AI-powered voice recognition.
Hungarian architecture professor Erno Rubik devised the first prototype of the 3x3x3 puzzle cube in 1974. It gained popularity in Western countries in the early 1980s after appearing at international toy fairs and has remained popular ever since.
$299 Rubik's Cube refresh adds digital screens for games and apps
