Speedsolvers, your new time to beat is 4.74 seconds.
Rubik’s cube records are like Mario speedruns. We know they’re going to happen, but because clutching the title involves shaving off fractions of a second they’re still so impressive.
But the new record-holder, Mats Valk, had a secret weapon.
Many speedsolvers attempt records with custom cubes. The standard, store-bought Rubik’s is just too slow and clunky to be competitive. Valk went one step further and used his own – the Valk 3M.
The Valk 3 is a standard spring-based cube custom built to Valk’s specifications, while the Valk M is riff on the same cube but with four dozen tiny magnets embedded in it for smoother feedback. The video’s description links to the Valk M, and Valk has clarified that the 3M and the M are the very same cube (also setting a record for fastest time anyone has ever responded to an email inquiry).
In any case, this special cube – and years of practise – gave the young Valk the 0.26 second edge he needed to beat out previous champ Lucas Etter. Can you follow a single move he’s making? I certainly can’t.
The secret ingredient was magnets all along.