Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 20
Nex Playground Enters UK and Ireland at £269 as 1 Million Sales Back Active-Play Pitch
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 20

Nex Playground Enters UK and Ireland at £269 as 1 Million Sales Back Active-Play Pitch

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 20

Summary

  • June 22 marks Nex Playground’s UK and Ireland debut, with the controller-free console priced at £269 and built around AI camera tracking to turn body movement into gameplay.
  • Five starter games come free, but most of the 60-plus titles sit behind a £90 annual or £45 quarterly subscription—an added cost parents interviewed said was their main hesitation.
  • The system tracks 18 body points through a built-in wide-angle camera, though some users said motion detection can feel less precise than older Wii or Kinect-style setups.
  • Nex says video is processed locally rather than stored in the cloud; the device also includes a lens cover, parental controls and kidSAFE+ COPPA certification.
  • Black Friday 2025 sales made the little-known device the third best-selling console in the US, and Nex says lifetime sales have now topped 1 million units since its 2023 launch.

Insights

After outselling Xbox, can this subscription-only console sustain its challenge to gaming giants, or is it just a fleeting family trend?
As new child safety laws tighten in 2026, can this 'privacy-first' console truly protect kids from emerging online dangers?