Japanese toymaker MegaHouse has just released a Rubik’s Cube that takes the concept of “miniature” to an entirely new level. The cube, crafted from aluminum, measures just five millimeters per side—about the breadth of a typical pencil eraser—making it potentially the smallest Rubik’s Cube ever created that can still function as intended.
The diminutive puzzle was made available for pre-order this past Thursday, with deliveries scheduled to begin in April of next year. It weighs a mere 0.3 grams and each of its nine squares on six faces is just 1.6 millimeters across. This micro-cube was confirmed by the Guinness World Record in August as the world’s smallest rotating puzzle cube.
“The 5-millimeter Rubik’s Cube is born from the synthesis of precision machines, cutting-edge tools, and sheer player passion,” announced Kiyokazu Saito, president of Iriso Precision, which was enlisted for the precision cutting.
However, the tiny cube is not only a technical marvel but also a luxury collector’s item, retailing at 777,777 yen (approximately $5,320). Each unit is sold with a stand proclaiming its status as the “World’s record smallest Rubik’s Cube.”
This release marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic puzzle, originally invented by Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik in 1974. The Rubik’s Cube has a vast and varied fanbase, from amateur hobbyists to professional mathematicians, with over 500 million units sold worldwide.
In competition, the traditional 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube remains a highly contested category. The current record for solving the standard cube was set by 22-year-old Korean American Max Park, who completed the puzzle in just 3.13 seconds during a competition in Long Beach, California.
The announcement of this miniature cube coincides with an exhibition at the Hungary Culture Center in Minato, Tokyo, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Rubik’s Cube’s international release. The exhibition will continue until November 9, showcasing this remarkable innovation among others.
