If you haven't looked at the speedcubing leaderboards in the last few months, you’re in for a shock. The days of 5-second or 6-second solves being the "gold standard" are basically ancient history. Honestly, the progression is getting a little scary.
Right now, Xuanyi Geng holds the official World Cube Association (WCA) world record for the fastest single 3x3 Rubik’s Cube solve at a mind-melting 3.05 seconds.
He pulled this off in April 2025 at the Shenyang Spring competition. If you blink, you literally miss the entire solve. It’s not just about fast fingers anymore; it's about a level of efficiency that seems almost robotic. But here’s the kicker: Xuanyi isn’t some veteran who’s been cubing for decades. He’s a young phenom from China, and he's currently leading a pack of "super-cubers" who are rewriting every rule we thought we knew about human limits.
The current state of the 3x3 world record for Rubik's cube
When we talk about what is the world record for Rubik's cube, we have to look at two different numbers: the "Single" and the "Average of 5."
The single solve is the glory shot. It's the one that makes the evening news. But the average? That’s what the pros care about. It proves you aren't just lucky with a "scramble" (the way the cube is mixed).
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The Single Record: 3.05 Seconds
Xuanyi Geng’s 3.05-second solve took the title from Yiheng Wang, who had previously clocked a 3.08. Before that, the legendary Max Park held the throne for quite a while with his 3.13-second solve. To put that in perspective, in the time it took you to read this sentence, Xuanyi could have solved two cubes.
The Average Record: 3.84 Seconds
This is where it gets truly ridiculous. Xuanyi Geng also just claimed the world record for the fastest average of five solves with a 3.84-second mark at the Beijing Winter 2026 event.
Think about that. He didn't just get lucky once. He solved five different cubes, threw out the fastest and slowest times, and the remaining three averaged out to sub-4 seconds. For years, the cubing community debated if a sub-4 average was even humanly possible. Now, it's the reality.
Why are records falling so fast?
You might be wondering why these records, which used to stand for years, are now being shattered every few months. It's a mix of three things: hardware, software, and "The China Effect."
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- MagLev and Ball-Cores: Modern cubes don't use springs anymore. They use opposing magnets (MagLev) to reduce friction to near zero.
- AI Reconstruction: Cubers now use software to analyze their solves frame-by-frame. They find "dead time" where their fingers weren't moving and eliminate it.
- Youth Dominance: Most current record holders are incredibly young. We’re talking 7 to 12 years old. Their neuroplasticity and reaction times are just on another level.
It's not just the standard 3x3
While the 3x3 is the "main event," the WCA tracks records for a ton of different puzzles. If you think 3 seconds is fast, look at the 2x2 records.
- 2x2 Single: Ziyu Ye holds this at 0.39 seconds. It’s basically just a flick of the wrist.
- 4x4 Single: Tymon Kolasiński recently clocked a 15.18-second solve.
- 7x7 Single: Max Park still dominates the "big cubes." He holds the 7x7 record at 1:33.48.
Max Park is kind of the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of the community. While the younger kids are taking over the 3x3, Max still holds the crown for almost every large cube category (4x4 through 7x7) and the one-handed records. He’s basically the veteran "final boss" that every new cuber is trying to chase down.
Can we actually go sub-3?
That’s the big question. Every time a record like 3.05 is set, people start whispering about the "Sub-3" barrier.
Mathematically, it’s possible. Robots have already solved the cube in 0.305 seconds (shoutout to Mitsubishi Electric). For a human, it requires a perfect "skip." In cubing, a skip is when a certain step of the solve—like the last layer—is already solved by pure chance. If a top-tier cuber gets a lucky scramble with an easy cross and a Last Layer skip, we could see a 2.8 or 2.9 very soon.
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How to track your own progress
If you're reading this and feeling inspired to dust off that old cube in your drawer, don't compare yourself to Xuanyi Geng. You'll just get frustrated.
Start by learning the CFOP method (Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL). Most world-class solvers use this. Once you can consistently solve it under a minute, you’re already faster than 99% of the population.
Next steps to take if you want to get serious:
- Get a Speedcube: Stop using the "store-bought" Rubik's brand. Grab a GAN, MoYu, or QiYi cube. They’re night and day.
- Learn Finger Tricks: Don't turn the cube with your whole hand. Use your fingers to flick the layers.
- Film Yourself: You won't know where you're slow until you watch your own hands in slow motion.
The world of speedcubing moves fast—literally. By the time you read this, someone might have already shaved another hundredth of a second off that 3.05 mark. But for now, Xuanyi Geng is the king of the mountain.