Draft:Rubik’s WOWCube: Difference between revisions

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Rubik’s WOWCube is an electronic gaming system in the form of a cube, developed by Cubios Inc. in collaboration with Canadian company Spin Master, which owns the Rubik’s brand.^[4] The device combines a 2×2 modular structure with 24 integrated LCD screens and motion sensors, allowing players to interact with games by twisting, tilting and shaking the cube rather than using traditional buttons.^[3] Rubik’s WOWCube is positioned as a hybrid between a video game console, an electronic toy and a digital version of the Rubik’s Cube. It runs its own games and apps, including licensed versions of Cut the Rope and Space Invaders, and supports downloadable software via a companion mobile application and a software development kit (SDK).^[5][6]

The earlier WOWCube Entertainment System by Cubios was named one of Time magazine’s “100 Best Inventions of 2021” and received additional industry awards,^[7][8] and these accolades have been cited in later coverage of Rubik’s WOWCube as evidence of continuity between the earlier system and the Rubik’s-branded device.^[9]

Cubios Inc. was founded in the 2010s to develop a handheld gaming platform built around a segmented, twistable cube with multiple displays and motion sensors. Early prototypes of the WOWCube Entertainment System were shown at consumer electronics events and trade fairs, drawing attention for their unusual combination of physical and digital interaction.^[10]

In 2021 Time magazine listed the WOWCube Entertainment System among “The 100 Best Inventions of 2021”, describing it as a creative take on the Rubik’s Cube concept and highlighting its combination of multiple screens and motion-based controls.^[7] Around the same period the system received an Edison Award for new products and was a CES Innovation Award honouree.^[11]

In 2024 Cubios announced a partnership with Spin Master, which had acquired the Rubik’s brand in 2021, to relaunch the platform under the name Rubik’s WOWCube.^[12] Spin Master presented the device as an officially branded Rubik’s product, integrating it into the company’s broader portfolio of toys and games.^[13]

Pre-orders for Rubik’s WOWCube opened in 2025 at a launch price of US$299, targeting the 2025 holiday season.^[2][1] Media coverage at launch emphasised both the continuity with the earlier WOWCube system and the significance of the Rubik’s licensing deal.^[14][4]

Rubik’s WOWCube consists of eight interconnected plastic modules arranged in a 2×2×2 configuration. Each outer face contains a 2×2 grid of small IPS LCD panels, for a total of 24 screens across the device.^[2] The modules are linked by an internal magnetic and mechanical system that allows the cube to be twisted in multiple directions, similar to a physical Rubik’s Cube, while retaining electrical connections between modules.^[12]

Inside, each module includes its own embedded processor, motion sensors (gyroscopes and accelerometers), and part of the device’s overall battery and audio system. PC Gamer reported that the launch model uses eight processors in total, includes microphones and speakers, and is powered by a battery rated around 3600 mAh.^[1]

The primary control scheme is based on physical movement: players twist layers of the cube, tilt and shake it, and in some applications tap on the screens to trigger interactions.^[2][3] When not used for games, the device can display apps such as a clock, calendar reminders, weather widgets or photo animations on its faces.^[3]

Software is distributed through a dedicated companion application on smartphones. The cube connects via Bluetooth, and users can download and install games and widgets from a curated store.^[2] Cubios has developed an operating system, open API and SDK that allow third-party developers to create and sell their own applications for the platform.^[15]

Rubik’s WOWCube supports a catalogue of arcade games, puzzles, casual titles, educational apps and visual “decor” experiences.^[16] Many titles are designed specifically around the cube’s segmented surface and motion controls, using mechanics such as rolling objects across faces, aligning segments of images, or rotating the cube to navigate mazes.^[3]

Several games are based on licensed intellectual property:

• Cut the Rope – Cubios worked with London-based studio ZeptoLab to adapt the mobile physics puzzle Cut the Rope for the WOWCube platform. The game uses twisting and tilting to cut virtual ropes and move candy towards the character Om Nom.^[17][18] Store information credits “© Zeptolab UK Limited” for the Cut the Rope content.^[18]

• Space Invaders Cubed – In 2024 Cubios and Japanese publisher Taito announced Space Invaders Cubed, an officially licensed adaptation of the classic arcade shooter. Players control a spaceship by tilting and rotating the cube, with shooting triggered when the ship is aligned with enemy rows. Taito and Cubios described the collaboration as a way to blend nostalgia with a new physical form factor.^[6][19]

In addition to licensed titles, the platform offers original games and educational apps such as geography quizzes, memory challenges and visualisations like a spinning globe.^[16][18]

Early coverage of the WOWCube Entertainment System was generally positive, focusing on the novelty of its form factor and the potential of combining multiple screens with physical manipulation. Time described the original system as a reinvention of the Rubik’s Cube concept when it included the device in its 2021 list of notable inventions.^[7]

Preview articles and hands-on impressions of Rubik’s WOWCube have highlighted the engineering complexity and playful nature of the device. WorthPlaying characterised it as providing an “immersive mixed-reality user experience”.^[3] GameRant wrote that Rubik’s WOWCube “reimagines portable gaming” by combining a handheld console with a twistable puzzle form factor.^[14]

Forbes called the device “part console, part puzzle, and all chaos”, emphasising how games and widgets share the cube’s limited surface.^[4] Toy industry publications such as The Toy Insider and Mojo Nation have presented Rubik’s WOWCube as a STEM-oriented platform that brings the Rubik’s Cube “into the future” with motion controls and an open software ecosystem.^[20][5]

The earlier WOWCube system also received attention for its potential uses in education and therapy, including claims that it could support the development of motor skills, cognitive function and three-dimensional thinking; these claims were widely reported in press materials, though independent academic evaluations remain limited.^[8][21]

Despite its favourable reception as a piece of hardware, Rubik’s WOWCube has attracted criticism, particularly concerning its price point, software ecosystem and target audience.

In a 2025 feature, PC Gamer noted that although the cube incorporates multiple screens and sensors, it is sold at a “whopping $299”. The article also pointed out that the device offers fewer grid cells than a standard 3×3 Rubik’s Cube, making it less challenging as a pure puzzle. It suggested that the product may appeal more to buyers seeking a novelty tech gift than to serious puzzle enthusiasts, and questioned whether the optional subscription for additional games and services would be attractive to mainstream consumers.^[1]

In an opinion piece for Hackaday, writer Jenny List described Rubik’s WOWCube as a device “raising many questions about what market it’s really targeting”.^[22] The article argued that the cube’s 2×2 configuration and emphasis on licensed games make it feel more like a tech novelty than a deep puzzle, and expressed doubts about whether a relatively expensive, specialised gadget could gain traction beyond a niche audience of collectors and hardware enthusiasts.^[22]

Individual reviewers and users have also pointed to the limited number of high-quality games available at launch and the uneven quality of the software catalogue compared with established mobile and console ecosystems. Some hands-on reports mention issues with accessories, such as dock stations, and suggest that the platform’s long-term success will depend on sustained developer support and content updates.^[3][2]

The WOWCube platform and its Rubik’s-branded successor have received several industry awards and honours:

• In 2021 the WOWCube Entertainment System was included in Time magazine’s list of “The 100 Best Inventions of 2021”.^[7]
• The system received an Edison Award for new products in 2020 and was recognised as a CES Innovation Award honouree in 2021.^[11]
• Company materials and media coverage have described the device as being certified as a STEM educational gadget.^[8][21]
• Later articles about Rubik’s WOWCube frequently reference these prior awards when discussing the relaunched, Rubik’s-branded version of the device.^[4][14]