A new way to play games, designed for the family with safe fun at its core, Nex Playground is a novel alternative to Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox. Die hard gamers will find its games lack depth – but it's not designed for you.
For
Plug and play design
Unique controller-free play
Tailored for families
Against
Too simple for many gamers
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I'll admit it, I was sceptical about Nex Playground when I first heard about it. I've been playing games all my life, and have reported on games for over 25 years; I've seen console fads and experiments come and go, from Nintendo's Virtual Boy to Google's Stadia, and everything in between, so a controller free, active games console with simple games and fitness, that can't play the latest graphics intensive hits like Doom: The Dark Ages, well… can it really appeal and to who?
Fundamentally, Nex Playground is about accessibility and safety. This tiny games console that can fit into the palm of your hand is designed with young children and families in mind, with no in-app purchases, simple gesture-controlled games, there's nothing to break and little to befuddle.
Designed to sit comfortably under your TV, Nex Playground is a games console for people who don’t normally play games consoles. It's mix of simple active arcade-like games and fitness apps is designed to get you off the couch. And after a few weeks of daily game chaos and exercises, I can honestly say, it works.
I’ve seen more than my share of active gaming gadgets that end up collecting dust behind the TV. But within ten minutes of switching on Nex Playground, my nieces (7 and 11) were laughing, my brother-in-law was dancing to Barbie, and I was sweating – all without a single controller in sight and little setup fuss.
I'll dig into it a little further in my review below, but Nex Playground can't compete with PS5 or Xbox, or even the new Nintendo Switch 2 (read our Switch 2 review), and it's not designed to. The pitch for Nex Playground is for an alternative to the mainstream games consoles, an option to play in a new way that's family-safe, simple and fun.
(Image credit: Future)
Nex Playground: the tech
• Advanced motion capture • Smart use of AI
Nex Playground grew from Apple's HomeCourt's real-time shot tracker for basketball as well as the team's background in NBA game science – if it sounds complex, essentially the team of former Apple, Google and Meta designers created an AI-powered wide-angle tracking camera and software dubbed the Motion Engine, which is more accurate that the older tech used in game hardware like Microsoft Kinect and Sony's Eye Toy.
Inside the little Nex Playground is an eight-core Arm Chip with 64GB of storage. The AI-powered mocap camera is the star and enables controller-free, body-movement-based tracking. The little box is simple to setup and uses a HDMI cable and USB-C power supply.
The AI-motion detection can support multiplayer and recognises individual body shapes, so four players can share a screen and Nex Playground knows exactly who is who and where they are in a space.
Tech score: 5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Nex Playground: design and build
• Neat, Apple-like design • Quality feel and finish
There’s something very Apple about Nex Playground. It’s got the minimal, matte-finished aesthetic that makes you want to display it rather than tuck it away. The hardware is discreet, understated and remarkably easy to install – its pure plug-and-play.
Even the menus are stylish: fluid, friendly and child-navigable. The UI has a bold, clean feel and options pop and blurp in a satisfying Nintendo-like manner. My seven-year-old niece was flipping between games without a tutorial, while my wife appreciated that it didn’t look like a plastic toy under the TV. It’s genuinely one of the most thoughtful bits of family-focused tech I’ve used in a long time.
The little console measures just 3x3x3-inches and can fit in the palm of your hand. It has a soft-touch quality plastic feel and the mix of pastel colours – yellow, opal and cream-white – feels understated and subtle.
A little lens cap that neatly connects securely to the HDMI cable and clips magnetically over the camera lens, perfect for anyone who has privacy concerns (Nex Playground is not online and there's no danger of strangers popping into your child's game).
While the console is played and used controller-free, it does come with a slim remote control that can be used to turn the console on and off. I also found this ideal for selecting, setting up and starting games, it means you can control which games the kids play and how, and so avoids arguments.
Design score: 5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Nex Playground: performance
• Fast, accurate motion tracking • Daft fun + exercise
This is where things get interesting. The Nex Playground doesn’t use controllers – your body is the controller. And that’s not just a gimmick. The AI camera tracks my movements surprisingly well, whether I'm frantically slicing fruit, shooting hoops or holding a squat in fitness app NexGym (not something I'm used to). Basically, Nex's motion tracking tech is the most accurate, speedy system for home use I've tried. It's genuinely impressive.
Games come in all shapes: dancing, arcade, fitness and mindfulness. Some are silly, some are sweaty, most are short, which means they're perfect for spontaneous family sessions after dinner or a rainy Sunday morning.
No one’s left out. My nieces jumped straight in, my wife joined in for a game of bowling and the kids had to be dragged away from the frivolous fun of Mirrorama; not a game as such but a series of effects that make use of the camera in weird and fun ways – warping your reflection, filling the screen with bubbles ripe for popping and generally messing with 'reality'.
In practice, Nex Playground is impressively slick. The camera tracks well in a bright room, with little to no calibration. I did notice it struggles a bit in dim lighting, a living room lamp didn’t quite cut it, but under ceiling lights and natural daylight it shines.
The best part is there’s virtually no learning curve. You stand up, you move, it works. My nieces figured out Nex Playground in seconds. It feels effortless and, honestly, after a few rounds of the Barbie Dance Party, I was more tired than I expected.
Using NexGym Fitness, which offers an on-screen instructor to demo the workouts and shows your motion and tracking for better technical execution of each exercise, is exhausting. It's worth noting you'll likely need to invest in some weights to get the most from some exercises, but Nex Playground has just launched Zumba for pure cardio.
Feature score: 5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Nex Playground: the games
• Limited but fun games • Excellent fitness apps
There are no game discs to clutter the home or lengthy installs to muddle through, you simply sign-up to Nex's games subscription service and get instant access to a mix of titles and fitness apps. In many ways Nex Playground is close to the 'Netflix for games' idea that many brands have mulled over but never quite achieved.
Every game is built around Nex Playground's no-controller, motion tracking tech which is both unique but can hold back originality. Let me explain: games tend to fall into a mix of three or four formats designed around swiping at the screen, mimicking poses, or using gestures to control a character – want to make your Teenage Mutant Turtle jump, then you need to physically squat and hop.
When the motion control idea works, it's very entertaining. Whack-a-Mole Deluxe is a fun and physical take on the fairground favourite, Barbie Dance Party is surprisingly exhausting and ageing mobile game Fruit Ninja has a chaotic new lease of life on Nex Playground – the children loved frantically wafting their arms as melons, apples and other fruit splooshed on screen.
Nex Playground has a good selection of licensed games too, including Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. While both my nieces are a little old for Gabby’s Dollhouse: A-meow-zing Moves, they smiled and got very excited for its inclusion. The game itself is incredibly simple and aimed at under fives.
However, the platform isn't without its drawbacks. Some games lack detailed instructions, making them less accessible for younger children. Additionally, the simplicity of certain games may not hold the attention of older children and adults, leading to loss of appeal over time – you're not going to get something as complex as Clair Obscur Expedition 33 on Nex Playground.
Nex Playground excels in promoting active play and family interaction, especially for younger players (10 and under). While it may not offer the depth found in more traditional gaming consoles, its focus on physical activity and ease of use make it a valuable addition to family game nights. The addition of genuinely physical exercise apps means when the kids are away you Nex Playground becomes a living room gym.
Feature score: 3/5
(Image credit: Nex Playground)
Nex Playground: price
• Game subscription offers value • Advanced tech costs
At $249 / £179 Nex Playground isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s also not trying to be a budget device. For the price, you get a beautifully built console, a surprisingly decent collection of admittedly simple games, a frictionless user experience and incredibly advanced mocap tech.
There’s a subscription option – $89 for 12 months – that offers more games and fitness apps, but even the free tier feels generous for casual use. New game collections are released regularly for subscribers, for example this summer fitness app Zumba and puzzle game Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster’s Cookie Factory have just launched (taking the games list to 40 titles).
While perhaps it may seem expensive for a console that can't run the usual Triple-A releases, when you consider Mario Kart World on Switch 2 is $79 and GTA6 is rumoured to cost $100, Nex Playground and a roster of on-demand games and fitness apps feels like good value, especially if you have young children and want to game safely away from the internet.
Perhaps highlighting the accessibility of Nex Playground, you can buy a travel case for $24.97 that fits the console, plug, cables and controller perfectly. It means you can take to a friend's house, setup in minutes and get playing.
Value score: 4/5
Nex Playground: Who is it for?
• Young children • Fitness fans
This isn’t for Fortnite players or Doom fans, PlayStation or Xbox gamers. The Nex Playground is for families, especially those with young children. This is a games console designed for active use, which means it's both accessible and easy to setup, but also means the games are basic and won't appeal to older players. With no updates, patches or device syncing required, no in-app purchases or online modes, Nex Playground is safe, easy to use and gets you off the couch.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Nex Playground score card
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Tech:
Advanced motion capture and AI.
5/5
Design:
Small, stylish and eye-catching.
5/5
Performance:
Accessible, active games and excellent fitness apps
5/5
Games:
Simple and formulaic; ideal for young children.
3/5
Price:
Not the cheapest but represents good value for families.
With Switch 2 launching, the original Switch and Switch OLED are coming down in price. These have good fitness apps and children's games but can be more complex and expensive than Nex Playground.
If you want to get close to Nex Playground's motion control gaming then Meta Quest 3 is a good choice. It costs more, and is VR, but it has a good mix of active games and apps.
If you want the power of a modern console combined with the ease of a subscription then Xbox plus a Game Pass sub is a great option. But it is twice the price of Nex Playground.
Nex Playground review: an Apple-like active games console for the family
A new way to play games, designed for the family with safe fun at its core, Nex Playground is a novel alternative to Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox. Die hard gamers will find its games lack depth – but it's not designed for you.
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
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