New Game Console Gets Kids Moving With AI Tracking

Parents finally have a gaming console that gets kids off the couch without a fight.

The Nex Playground launches in the UK and Ireland on June 22, bringing motion-controlled gaming that uses AI and a built-in camera to track 18 points on a child's body. Players become the controller, slicing fruit with their hands, dancing to pop songs, and following Zumba instructors using their whole bodies.

The relatively unknown device shocked the gaming industry when it outsold Xbox during Black Friday 2025 in the US. Since launching in December 2023, the console has sold over one million units across North America.

The £269 console comes with five starter games, though most families opt for the yearly subscription at £90 to access over 60 games featuring kid favorites like Peppa Pig. Nick from Louisiana, father of a three and five-year-old, was initially hesitant about the subscription cost but realized it beats paying £60 per game on other consoles.

Parents report their kids typically play for 30 minutes to an hour per session. Brian from Philadelphia says his six-year-old son gets active play "in a way typical cartoons or movies were unable to" provide.

The setup is simple enough for kids to navigate themselves. The camera configures to living rooms of any size and creates an on-screen avatar matching the player's movements in real time.

Why This Inspires

This console tackles one of modern parenting's trickiest challenges: managing screen time without constant battles. Yes, kids are still looking at a screen, but they're also jumping, dancing, and moving their bodies instead of sitting motionless with a controller.

The device proves companies can create technology that genuinely serves families rather than just capturing attention. Privacy protections include local processing instead of cloud storage, a physical lens cover, and parental controls to hide age-inappropriate content.

The Playground won't replace major gaming systems, but it doesn't need to. It's carving out its own space by giving parents peace of mind while kids still get their gaming fix.

Sometimes the best solutions are the ones that meet families where they are, turning screen time into active time one dance move at a time.