Time to re-Kinect? Sell-out family console Nex Playground is about to release in the UK and Ireland

The Nex Playground, a motion-tracking family console that has achieved remarkable success in North America, is expanding to the UK and Ireland. Pre-orders began on May 18, 2026, through Amazon, Argos, and Smyths Toys, with general availability launching in late June 2026 at a retail price of £269 (€319).

This marks the Nex Playground’s first international expansion outside North America, where it has become a breakout success. The console has sold nearly 1 million units across the US, with particularly strong 2025 performance—it outsold the Xbox Series X/S during the holiday season and captured 14% of console sales during Black Friday week, ranking second only to the Nintendo Switch 2. Sales growth has been accelerating, with 2025 showing a four-fold increase from 2024 figures.

The Nex Playground is an AI-powered motion-control gaming system designed as a “controller-free active play system” that encourages families to play together. It uses a camera-based interface similar to the discontinued Xbox Kinect. The console launches with five starter games and provides access to over 60 additional titles through subscription passes: a £90 annual Play Pass or £45 quarterly option.

The library includes popular family-friendly content based on well-known intellectual property such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, Sesame Street, Barbie, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The console is positioned to address “pain points” of modern gaming, offering an accessible, active alternative to traditional controller-based gaming.

Nex president Tom Kang described 2026 as “a defining moment” for the company as it attempts to establish itself as a global gaming platform beyond North America’s enthusiastic market response.

Time to re-Kinect? Sell-out family console Nex Playground is about to release in the UK and Ireland

Sources