NxN Rubik's cubes exist commercially in every size from 2×2 up to about 21×21, but the standard sizes you'll find in most stores are 2×2 through 7×7. xCubes Solver supports every size from 2×2 to 15×15. Here's a quick tour of what each size offers, the typical solve length, and what makes it interesting.
| Size | Common name | Avg. moves to solve | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2×2 | Pocket Cube | ~10 | Easy |
| 3×3 | Rubik's Cube | ~18 | Classic |
| 4×4 | Rubik's Revenge | ~45 | Intermediate (parity) |
| 5×5 | Professor's Cube | ~75 | Intermediate |
| 6×6 | V-Cube 6 | ~110 | Advanced (parity) |
| 7×7 | V-Cube 7 | ~150 | Advanced |
| 8×8 | — | ~200 | Advanced (parity) |
| 9×9 | — | ~260 | Expert |
| 10×10 | — | ~330 | Expert (parity) |
| 11×11 | — | ~410 | Expert |
| 12×12 | — | ~500 | Master (parity) |
| 13×13 | — | ~600 | Master |
| 14×14 | — | ~710 | Master (parity) |
| 15×15 | — | ~830 | Master |
The 2×2 (Pocket Cube) has only corner pieces. There are 3,674,160 possible states. It's a great cube for beginners — once you know the corner orientation and permutation algorithms from a 3×3, you can solve the 2×2 in under 10 seconds.
The 3×3 (Rubik's Cube) is the cube everyone knows. Invented by Ernő Rubik in 1974, it has 43 quintillion possible states and a known "God's number" of 20 — every scramble can be solved in 20 moves or fewer. Speedcubers regularly solve it in under 10 seconds; the world record is currently around 3 seconds.
Even-sized cubes (4×4, 6×6, 8×8, etc.) have no fixed centers. The colors on each face are determined only by the relative position of the centers themselves, which can move during a solve. This means parity cases can arise — states that look impossible on a 3×3 but are perfectly valid on the big cube. Each even-sized cube has its own parity algorithms that fix these states without disturbing the rest of the cube.
The 4×4 (Rubik's Revenge) is the smallest of these and is many people's first big cube. The 6×6, 8×8, 10×10 extend the same idea with more layers and longer solves.
Odd-sized cubes (5×5, 7×7, 9×9, etc.) have fixed center stickers in the middle of each face. This pins down the color scheme from the start and eliminates parity entirely. The trade-off: more pieces to manage in centers and edges.
The 5×5 (Professor's Cube) is the most popular odd big cube. The 7×7 is the largest size the world's governing cubing organization (WCA) recognizes for competition. Sizes 9×9 and above are produced by specialty brands like ShengShou, MoYu, and YuXin.
Anything from 8×8 up is sometimes called a "giant cube". These can take experienced cubers 30 minutes to an hour to solve by hand, and beginners hours. The xCubes Solver returns solutions for these sizes in 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the size and your scramble.
The 15×15 is the largest size supported here. It's a niche puzzle — physically clunky to turn — but mathematically fascinating: a single scramble can require 800+ moves to solve.
If you've never solved a cube before: start with a 3×3. It's the most documented puzzle in the world, with thousands of tutorials and tens of millions of solvers globally.
If you've solved a 3×3 and want a challenge: try the 4×4 or 5×5. They introduce reduction methods without being overwhelming.
If you want a giant statement piece: a 7×7 from a quality brand like MoYu or QiYi looks impressive and is the largest size with smooth, fast turning. Anything above 7×7 starts to feel mechanically stiff.
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