In this video I'm going to show you how to solve a 4x4 Rubik's Cube
Check out my other videos showing you how to solve a 2x2 Rubik's cube, a 3x3, a 4x4 and even a 5x5
So in this video, I'm going to show you how to solve this 4x4 Rubik's cube. For the purpose of this video
It would be better if you already knew how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's cube as many of the movements are the same
If you don't already know how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's cube
then I suggest you check out my 3x3 Rubik's cube tutorial video
as all the movements and algorithms in that video will also be used to solve the 4x4
I won't be going over in great detail the movements and algorithms that we learned on the 3x3
But we will get a quick refresher
But if you want to learn exactly what we're doing in detail and the movements then you need to know the 3x3 ideally
I'm going to try to teach you how to solve this 4x4 cube using the least amount of extra algorithms that I know how
In addition to the algorithms that I showed you in the 3x3 tutorial
Once we arrange the 4x4 into what looks like a scrambled 3x3
then we can finish the cube the same way as a 3x3
except for a few exceptions when you run into a parity
and I'll explain what parity is when we come across them
So in this video, I'll teach you a method
so they'll only be three extra algorithms that you need to learn in addition to the ones that you learnt on the 3x3
So now I've just scramble the cube
The first step in to solving a 4x4 Rubik's cube is lining up these middle pieces
These four middle pieces here are equivalent to one centerpiece on a 3x3 Rubik's cube
If you remember what I said about a 3x3 these center pieces are fixed in relation to each other
This blue will always be opposite is green.
This white will always be opposite yellow
and the red will always be opposite orange
And we have to arrange them in the same orientation on the 4x4
because on the 4x4 they're not set they can actually move
And I'll show you how to get them in the right orientation as we solve them
But what you do need to memorize first is you need to memorize what colour is opposite which other colour
For example I started with green on my other Rubik's cube videos
and I'm going to start with green on this one for some consistency
And to start arranging these all the same colours
What we need to do we need to make pairs
We need to pair two greens and another two greens in the same row and join them together
So the first thing to do is to find two greens and join them together
Now you'll be pleased to know there's no algorithms that you need to remember when we're doing the centers
It's just basically using logic
It's intuitive
I'm basically gonna show you the idea of
of putting them in the right place, how to do it
And then you just go around your cube and sort of figure it out using the technique that I'm going to show you
So you see how we've got two greens here
Well first they're on the same plane so we can join them anyway, cuz you move this you move them both
So we need one on the left and one on the right
so
Now I've got one on the right one on the left, so they can move
And then to join them, you see how one's the top, one's on the bottom
Well we're needing either both on the top or both on the bottom
So when I move them they will pair
So I'll turn this one to the top. So now this one's on the top
This one's the top
Top right, top left
and when I twist the cube, I join them together
And then look around for the other greens I've got another green here and another green here
And this time, we're going to twist it that way
So one wants to be on the top, one wants to be on the bottom, which they are
This one is on the right, this one is on the left
So when I turn it you see they're going to end up like this, in a crisscross
So turn it back so, we either want both on the left or both on the right
I'll just put this one on the right, remember still on the top, so this one's top right
This one's bottom right and when I twist it
I've got another piece [pair]
and this one, we want it vertical, we want to bring that up to match the top one
As you can see they're both on the same side.
So we want one on the left one on the right, it doesn't matter which
I'll put this one on the left and then
When I twist the cube, I bring them together
Okay, so that's our first centerpiece done
If you remember when I did the 3x3 I started on the green and then the final face that we did was blue
So we know what blue is opposite green
So I'm going to put blue on this face
So look around you cube for two pieces
I've already got two in position here
So I'll move them up
If I move them up..
well I've separate my green
so I need to bring them down to repair my green
But what I can do, if I move them up when I've separated my green
If I twist them onto the other plane
I want to bring my green back down
And leave it on the top
Find the other two blues, I've got one and here one here and they're both on the bottom
so one wants to be on the top
Now when I twist the cube, I'm bringing them to each other. This one is on the right
This one is on the left. So if I bring them together
They'll be in opposite corners, so that's no good
So if I turn this one. Now this one's in the right and so is this one
So when I twist them together
They're now joined
and you want them vertical like this
and you see how they're in the same plane
Now they're not, and I can twist it up
However, I've joined these but I've broken my green again
so if I put my green back in place
I split my blue. So how do I get the blue up here with leaving the green down there?
Well, this wants to be the blue
so I rather then pushing my blue up, I'll bring these down
If I turn this back to this side
I can bring these down to the blue
and when I'm bringing these down I'm separating the greens
So I'm bringing these down to the blue remember, this is the top, this is opposite the green
Replace them with the blue
And put them back up and that has brought the other green back
So now I've got blue and green, two opposite centerpieces completed
So now what I do, I turn the cube so the blue is on the right-hand side
And now we also need to work out the orientation of the colours as well, we know blue is opposite green
Hopefully, you know white is opposite yellow and red is opposite orange
But if I take my 3x3 here
Put blue on the right, see I've got yellow on top here
So white should be underneath. It is.
and this is orange. But we know orange is opposite red
But when you're arranging it in a 4x4 even though we know this is yellow, this is white.
This is orange, this is red
We don't know, even if we put yellow here
Whether this is orange or this is red
So we could get these a flip-flopped and the opposites will still be correct
Now the way I do it, I just think of the colours red, white and blue
If I turn the cube
And I look in a clockwise direction
I've got red, white and blue
And that's how I remember it. Red, white, blue
If you get these three in the correct orientation, then the opposites also will be
So I've got my blue on the right, think red white and blue
and I like to make my layer on the top
My centerpiece on the top
So when I'm making the next one I can see what I'm doing
So, I'm going to make this one white
So find two white pieces. I've got one here, one here. Both on the same plane in the top, in the top
We want one on the left one on the right. So I'll turn this
Now I've got one on the left one on the right, both in the top
Twist them together
Now, I've got a pair. And I want to turn them verticle
And now when I twist it, I won't break them
Remember because we've made these ones opposites
These won't get pulled apart now when we do all this movement
These are safe so we're only working on one axis
So look for the other white pieces, I've got one here, got one here
This one's on the bottom left Top right
So we need them either both on the bottom or both on the top
Put this one on the bottom. It's on the right, this one's on the bottom on the left
Make sure this one's vertical so we don't split them apart
And twist them around
And then I want to stand it vertical
Now I've stood this vertical I can look for my other pair
And I can just twist them together
So now
From the little rhyme red, white and blue Red, white, blue
This one we know needs to be red
Red, white, blue
We've only got one red piece here
We've got a red piece here. So I'm going to join these together
This one's in the bottom right, this one's in the top right
As I said, first they need to be in opposites
So now this one's right, this one's left
This one's bottom, this one's top, so they both need to be on the same level
So I'll bring this down to the bottom
So bottom left, bottom right
So now when I bring this down
They will meet
This is my white so red, white, blue
So this wants to be next to the white, so if I turn this up
When I repair my white
I've now got the first half of my red
Red, white, blue
And for the other two reds
They're already in a pair
Now how do I get them to here?
Well, we can put them on the same side as the red already because we know that they want to go here
And to get them here, we do the same as what we was doing the with the blue
We just bring these to the red
Remember these were next to the other red, with the white there
And then turn them on to it
And then replace them back
Now I've got the red and the white and the blue
And this is what I mean by it's just logic. You sort of work it out as you go
Once you get the basic idea of how to, of where to put these pieces to join them
It's just working it out
For me doing the centers is the most enjoyable part because you're not working on a memorized algorithm
You're just figuring it out
So we've got white, now I'll turn it and do the next one. So opposite white is yellow.
We've already got a pair
Turn this vertical so we don't break it
See what we've got on this side, oh we've already got another pair
So to get this here
What we do, as before we can just bring this to it
Turn it
And replace
And now we've completed this one, then the last one has to be complete as well
So we've got red, white, blue
Opposite red is orange
Opposite white is yellow
So now all the center's are complete and in the correct orientation
On the last two you might get in a position where you're like this
Where you've got one corner here, one corner here
And you need to figure out well, how do I get these?
Well think this is a row that we want to keep
This is our yellow row
And we want to join this one and this one
So this one is in the bottom right
And what I said, first they want to be on the opposite then the same layer
So we want this one on the bottom left
Now this one is on the bottom left
Remember this is the pair we're keeping here
We bring this down so we've matched them
Then replace them
And bring them back up
You might also get this where you've got criss-cross, criss-cross
You basically just choose which one you want to work on first
So let's work on the top
With the top
Yellow and yellow is both on the same side, so remember they want to be opposite
So now we've got opposite but they're both on the top
Bring it down, and you've lined them up
And how do you get them on the top? Well the red's here so you know this one wants to be next to the red
Bring it up
And the same for this one
This one's on the bottom right so this one needs to be on the bottom left
Bring it down Now this one wants to be next to the red
And bring it up
Ok and now we've completed the centers
You