#nex-playground

#nex-playground

You might not have heard of the Nex Playground, but it's a tiny gaming system built entirely around Kinect-like games. With its camera and computer vision processing, the $249 Nex Playground can track up to four players as effectively as Microsoft's old Xbox motion tracker, according to Engadget's Devindra Hardawar. The hardware is cute and well-designed, there are plenty of games, and it works offline. The only issue is the ongoing subscription needed to access most games.

Instead, my family and I have been jumping around and slicing flying fruit in our living room using the Nex Playground. It's a tiny gaming system built entirely around Kinect-like games. With its camera and onboard computer vision processing, the $249 Nex Playground can track up to four players as effectively as Microsoft's clunky old Xbox motion tracker. Simply put, the dream of the Kinect, as well as Nintendo's Wii, lives on in the Nex Playground.

"One of the most important things we should do is learn from history and try not to commit the same limitations, and that's why we have a subscription model," Lee told The Game Business. "Nintendo expanded the audience with Wii. When you expand the audience, and they want different things, and they only buy Wii Fit, Wii Sports and not many others ... that's a bit of a problem."

It's a small sample size, likely driven by Black Friday discounts and temporary virality, but the Nex Playground has gone from little-known console curiosity to best-seller. It's now on track to quadruple its sales from last year. According to research firm Circana, the Playground was the second best-selling console in the US for the week ending November 22nd, and third for the week ending November 28th. In October, it wasn't even mentioned by Circana's video game analyst, Mat Piscatella.

The Nex Playground is apparently one of the hottest consoles this holiday season thanks to its kid-friendly games and fun, motion-controlled gameplay. And now through December 14th, the cube-shaped console is on sale for its Black Friday low of around $199 ($50 off) at Amazon. There are some other great deals still available you might have missed this week, too, including a sizable discount on the new Google Pixel Buds 2A and Genki's Moonbase Charging Station, which looks straight out of Star Wars.

The Nex Playground, a motion-controlled video game console for players of all ages, is back in stock at Amazon and on sale for a limited time. Normally $249, the incredibly popular family-friendly console is discounted to $199 at Amazon and Best Buy. The Nex Playground remains sold out at Walmart, Target, and on the manufacturer's website. Amazon also has a limited-time bundle deal as part of its Game Awards 2025 Sale.

Nex Playground looks quite like a mini projector, but in a fun way. It connects to your TV and lets you play interactive motion games using just your body. There are no controllers needed, as the built-in wide-angle camera uses AI to scan your movements to register them in games on its own. Multiplayer setup is supported. Up to four people can hop in at the same time to get some workout in.

The Nex Playground console combines fitness and entertainment with a subscription model that offers new games each month, making exercise feel like fun instead of a chore.

The Nex Playground's exclusive game, How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Skies, offers an action-packed, motion-controlled experience inspired by the upcoming film.