What will the next gen of 4x4's look like?

QiYi posted this a couple days ago:

"Smaller 4x4,can you guess what is it?"
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So Moyu just skipped the Aosu GTS regular version and jumped right into the magnetized version. Good choice. But they failed to make it 60mm, despite the overwhelming consumer demand for a 60mm 4x4.

And the mechanism looks plain - nothing new - nothing we haven't already seen - nothing that will revolutionize the 4x4 market.

not worth my time.

anyone else agree?
moyuaosu4x4gtsmpre4.jpg
 
But they failed to make it 60mm, despite the overwhelming consumer demand for a 60mm 4x4.

I would have agreed with you a few months ago, but I'm not so sure now. I wanted a good magnetized 60mm 4x4, so I made a Yuxin Blue M, which I'm very happy with. My one complaint with the Blue is that sometimes during PLL parity the inner slice is just a bit narrow to flick. I've heard a lot of good about the WuQue, so I traded for one and just got it today. Right now it's not as good as my Blue, but it is a very good puzzle. I suspect that when I get it magnetized it will become my main 4x4. I think that the better stability of magnetic cubes changes the ideal grip slightly: you have to grip a non-magnetic 4x4 a little more precisely, which is easier to do with a 60mm, or even a 57 or 58mm cube than with a 62mm. A 62mm, on the other hand, is a little easier to, for lack of a better term, "throw around," provided it has sufficient stability.

Back to market demand: it is my distinct impression that the best-selling 4x4 over the last several months has been the (62mm) Wuque. I agree that there is certainly a market for 60mm cubes but it seems that Yuxin has claimed that, Qiyi has claimed the 62mm market, and now Moyu is way behind in the big cube game. And since Qiyi seems to be winning, at least for 4x4, they're chasing Qiyi.

I would love to see them release a 60mm version as well, and I wouldn't be surprised if they did, particularly if the 62mm is a success. I also wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.
 
I would have agreed with you a few months ago, but I'm not so sure now. . . . I think that the better stability of magnetic cubes changes the ideal grip slightly: you have to grip a non-magnetic 4x4 a little more precisely, which is easier to do with a 60mm, or even a 57 or 58mm cube than with a 62mm. A 62mm, on the other hand, is a little easier to, for lack of a better term, "throw around," provided it has sufficient stability.

I think I'd like to recant this statement. After magnetizing my Wuque I was ready to write off the catching issues as a faulty cube or due to insufficient break-in, but it hasn't gotten better. I scrambled several nice 4x4s at the competition I organized 2 weeks ago, and there is something ckunkier about the 62mm size. Chris Olson's Wuque M in particular has a very nice feel, very similar to my Blue M, but with lighter magnets, and it's just clumsier in my hands because of the extra 2mm. The nicest 4x4 I scrambled belonged to Andrew Karbusicky. Not sure exactly what kind it was, but if I had to guess I'd say it's a Weisu M.
 
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