Living / 3 September, 2026 / Ellie Thompson
If you grew up in the era of the Nintendo Wii, you’ll probably remember the novelty of suddenly having to get off the sofa to play a video game. Fast-forward a couple of decades and Nex Playground takes that idea considerably further, swapping controllers altogether for one very simple concept: your body is the controller.
Compact, clever and designed specifically with families in mind, Nex Playground is an active gaming system that connects directly to your TV and uses a built-in wide-angle camera and AI-powered motion tracking to translate your child’s movements into what happens on screen. There are no controllers to master, no wearables to strap on and, crucially, far less opportunity to spend an entire afternoon motionless on the sofa.
For parents wrestling with the eternal screen-time dilemma, we’re listening. And if you’re wondering what to get them for Christmas? This is it.
Nex Playground is a small cube-shaped console that connects to your television via HDMI. Once it’s connected to WiFi and set up, its camera tracks 18 points on the body in real time, allowing children to control games simply by moving, jumping, reaching, ducking, dancing and generally throwing themselves around the living room. Up to four people can play at once on supported games.
The result is something sitting somewhere between a traditional games console and active family play. Nex recommends around six feet by six feet of clear space, so you don’t need an enormous games room, although we’d probably move Granny’s favourite vase before letting four overexcited children loose on it.
Setup is pleasingly simple too. Plug the Nex Playground into the TV, connect to WiFi, download your games and you’re away.
The biggest selling point for parents is obvious. Children still get all the excitement and instant gratification of playing a video game, but they have to physically participate.
Rather than thumbs doing all the work, games involve everything from football and dancing to fitness challenges, adventures and classic arcade-style play. The current catalogue includes familiar names and characters including Fruit Ninja, Bluey, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dora, Barbie and Sesame Street, alongside Nex’s own games and experiences.
It also makes Nex Playground particularly appealing on those wet weekends when everyone has been trapped indoors for approximately 47 years and the children desperately need to burn off some energy.
And because the controls are based on natural body movements rather than complicated button combinations, there’s very little learning curve. That makes it accessible to younger children, but also means siblings, parents and grandparents can genuinely play together.
Straight out of the box, Nex Playground includes five games: Fruit Ninja, Starri, Whack-a-Mole Deluxe, Party Fowl and Go Keeper.
For the much bigger library, you’ll need a Play Pass. This currently unlocks more than 50 games and experiences, with new content added each month. The UK Play Pass costs £45 for three months or £90 for 12 months.
It’s worth factoring that into the overall cost before buying. You don’t have to subscribe, and the five starter games remain available without a Play Pass, but families wanting the full Nex experience are likely to want access to the wider catalogue.
On the plus side, Play Pass games contain no ads or in-game purchases, so you won’t find yourself being repeatedly pestered for £2.99 to unlock a sparkly virtual hat.
A camera sitting underneath the family TV will understandably raise a few parental eyebrows.
Nex says its motion-tracking algorithms run directly on the device and that video is not stored or processed in the cloud. There’s also a magnetic privacy cover included with the console, so you can physically cover the camera when Playground isn’t being used.
The system is also kidSAFE+ COPPA certified and its catalogue is designed around family-friendly content.
For families who already have a PlayStation, Xbox or Switch and are looking for another traditional gaming experience, that’s not really what Nex Playground is trying to be.
Its appeal is in doing something different.
It takes something children are already desperate to do, play on a screen, and quietly turns it into something active and social. Games are easy to dip in and out of, children don’t need to learn complicated controls and, because multiplayer happens in the same room, it feels much closer to family game night than disappearing upstairs with a headset.
There is an ongoing cost if you want the full library, and you’ll need enough clear floor space for enthusiastic jumping, swiping and dancing. But as an alternative to passive screen time, particularly for younger children, there’s an awful lot to like.
Perhaps the biggest compliment we can give Nex Playground is that it doesn’t really feel like exercise. Children are simply playing a game. The fact they’re simultaneously running around the living room is a rather lovely parental bonus.
The Nex Playground has an RRP of £269 in the UK and is available directly from Nex as well as UK retailers including Smyths Toys, Amazon and Argos.
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Add a splash of creativity to the new school year with the STABILO woody 3 in 1, a clever colouring pencil, watercolour and wax crayon all rolled into one. Perfect for little hands, its chunky shape and vibrant colours make drawing, colouring and crafting easy and fun. Children can create on paper, cardboard and even smooth surfaces such as windows and mirrors. With an extra-thick, robust lead, it’s a colourful and versatile addition to any back-to-school pencil case.
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