How to Solve a 4x4 Cube- the Rubik's Revenge

Step 3- Solving like a 3x3 Rubik's cube (Till last layer)
The cube now actually looks similar to a regular 3x3x3 Rubik's cube! Consider the center blocks as a
single center piece, and the edge blocks as single edge pieces.
In the images above you can see that the 4x4 pieces are arranged the same as the 3x3 cube.
So from now on just conFnue and solve the cube like it was a
3x3 Rubik's cube
unFl the last layer
(just before orienFng the last layer)
The reason to solve only Fll the last layer, and not complete the cube, is because there are 2 special
cases in the 4x4 cube that can occur, which are impossible in the 3x3 cube. They are called pariFes.
Step 4- Solving the last layer (OLL & PLL pari9es)
These are the possible cases that can happen during the soluFon of a 4x4 cube:
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1/19/18, 12(51 PM
How to Solve a 4x4 Cube- The Rubik's Revenge
Page 16 of 18
http://www.rubiksplace.com/cubes/4x4/
OLL parity:
[ r U2 x r U2 r U2 r' U2 l U2 r' U2 r U2 r' U2 r' ]
PLL parity:
(Top view)
[ 2R2 U2 2R2 u2 2R2 2U2 ]
What is OLL parity?
OLL parity is when only one edge block is not oriented. This is an impossible case in a regular 3x3
cube. This case is solved using the algorithm above. It's important to execute the OLL parity
algorithm, if needed, before solving the last layer, because it does not preserve the last layer
pieces posiFons. The probability to encounter an OLL parity during a 4x4 solve is 50%
What is PLL parity?
PLL parity is when only 2 edge pieces are remained unsolved while the rest of the cube is fully
solved. This case also cannot happen on a 3x3 cube (reasons below), and is being fixed by the PLL
parity algorithm. The PLL parity algorithm does preserve all pieces but the switched edge pieces,
and therefore can be used at the end of the solving (acer solving all other last layer pieces). The
probability to encounter a PLL parity during a 4x4 solve is 50%
Note! You might encounter a weird PLL case, where all pieces are solved but 2 corners for example.
That’s because of the PLL parity. Acer applying the PLL parity algorithm it'll become a solvable
PLL
case
.