The Kinect Dream Lives On in the Nex Playground It is 2026 and the most exciting action in my living room is not from a traditional console. It is from the Nex Playground, a compact 249 dollar system that has fully realized the active gaming promise of devices like the Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Wii. Using a built-in camera and computer vision, it tracks up to four players with impressive accuracy, getting families off the couch and moving. I was initially skeptical that a new company could compete in the crowded gaming space. Yet, Nex has found its niche with simple setup, reliable motion tracking, and a library filled with kid-friendly titles like Peppa Pig and Bluey. The company sold 650,000 units last year, even outselling Xbox in November 2024 according to industry data. As a parent, I appreciate anything that encourages physical activity, especially in winter. While I value creative screen time, I also want my kids to move. The Nex Playground delivers on both. Its version of Fruit Ninja requires full-body swiping, not screen tapping. Go Keeper turns my kids into leaping soccer goalies. Starri inspires dance parties with its Beat Saber-like rhythm gameplay. These games genuinely make my children break a sweat. The system comes with five games pre-loaded, including Party Fowl and a Whack-a-mole variant. However, accessing the full library requires a Nex Play Pass subscription, priced at 89 dollars annually or 49 dollars for three months. A 29 dollar Sports Pack with tennis, basketball, and bowling is also sold at Target. This subscription model is the platform’s most significant drawback. Unlike traditional consoles where you buy games individually, the Playground demands an ongoing financial commitment after the initial hardware purchase. The company defends this by pointing to regular new game additions and updates, aiming for a service similar to Xbox Game Pass but for families. From a hardware perspective, the Nex Playground is surprisingly polished. The pastel-colored box is simple: plug it into power and an HDMI port, insert batteries into the remote, and connect to Wi-Fi. After a quick update and account setup via phone, games download directly. Downloads can take time depending on your internet speed, but they happen in the background. A major advantage is that once games are installed, no internet connection is needed, making the system highly portable for vacations or playdates. You just need a TV, power, and about six feet of clear space. Nex’s success stems from its experience in motion-tracked software, having previously developed the Homecourt basketball training app and the Active Arcade mobile games. CEO David Lee stated that the dedicated Playground hardware was created to provide a controlled, seamless experience that parents would use more readily than a phone app. This strategy, combined with securing popular children’s brands, has clearly worked. Despite reservations about the subscription, the Nex Playground accomplishes something rare. It is a simple, plug-and-play device that delivers innovative, active fun for the whole family without complex setups or extra accessories. It is the easy, engaging active gaming system that earlier technologies always wanted to be.
