It’s safe to say we all spend a huge amount of time looking at screens these days – for work, for fun, and everything in between. While we enjoy screens, it’s great to occasionally disconnect and engage in activities that challenge us physically and mentally – to step away from passive consumption and experience the real world. At TopMob, we love doing that with LEGO bricks! Surprisingly, LEGO has been around since 1958, and the company has always focused on what play should be. But LEGO isn’t stuck in the past. At CES 2026, we were excited to see LEGO’s newest innovation: LEGO SMART Play. This new system cleverly integrates technology into the classic LEGO experience, expanding what’s possible while still keeping the simple joy of building at its core.
What Is LEGO SMART Play?
LEGO SMART Play is a new way to interact with LEGO sets. It uses technology to make your builds more immersive by adding sounds, lights, and reactions that respond to how you play – all without needing a screen! Basically, it brings your LEGO creations to life, letting them make relevant noises, allowing Minifigures to interact with their surroundings, and lighting up based on your actions.
LEGO calls its new SMART Play system a truly interactive experience – and they say it’s the biggest change to LEGO building since the introduction of the minifigure in 1978. Considering how much we love the minifigure, that’s saying something!
LEGO SMART Play centers around a special LEGO brick that looks like a classic 2×4 brick but has a built-in computer chip. This chip powers interactive features, bringing LEGO creations to life and offering a new way to play. LEGO SMART Play makes building with LEGOs even more engaging for fans.
How Does LEGO SMART Play Work?
So, how does LEGO SMART Play actually work? We won’t get into all the complicated details, but a lot of research went into developing a system that uses hidden technology to inspire natural, creative play – without needing screens or complicated instructions.
LEGO explains that the new SMART Brick is filled with technology to make play more interactive. It includes sensors to detect movement, light, and sound, plus a built-in speaker and easy wireless charging.
LEGO SMART Tags and Minifigures combine with the LEGO SMART Brick to bring creations to life. They let builders make their LEGO models interactive, reacting to play with sounds and movements for a more engaging experience. Everything works seamlessly with existing LEGO bricks.
The LEGO SMART Brick is AMAZING
The LEGO SMART Brick looks and connects just like a regular 2×4 LEGO brick, fitting seamlessly into any LEGO creation. What makes it special is its ability to sense movement, distance, how it’s positioned, and even magnetic fields – bringing LEGO builds to life with real-time interaction. It can also play sounds that react instantly to what’s happening, rather than using pre-recorded clips. The brick detects how it’s moved, tilted, and gestured with, triggering unique responses. Plus, built-in LED lights create ambient lighting and can sense colors. All this technology is packed into a chip that’s incredibly small – even smaller than a standard LEGO stud!
LEGO SMART Tags and LEGO SMART Minifigures Make LEGO Play Even More Immersive and Social Than Ever Before
The LEGO SMART Play system isn’t just about the SMART Brick itself. It also uses LEGO SMART Tags and Minifigures to create sounds, lights, and actions based on where things are placed and how kids play with them.
LEGO SMART Tags are small, smooth tiles with a unique digital code that LEGO SMART Bricks can read. This allows the brick to understand what it’s interacting with and react in specific ways, making play more customized. LEGO SMART Minifigures appear normal, but also have a unique digital code. This code tells the LEGO SMART Brick how to respond to the figure, creating different play scenarios. Each Minifigure’s code gives it a unique personality – some are grumpy, some are friendly, but they’re all fun!
BrickNet Lets LEGO SMART Bricks Connect
LEGO SMART Bricks can work together by connecting wirelessly through a system called BrickNet. This lets them share information, making play more interactive and allowing different LEGO sets to communicate with each other.
LEGO’s new SMART Bricks can instantly recognize each other’s position and how they’re oriented in space, without needing any initial setup. This is possible thanks to a new, highly accurate magnetic system. The bricks also connect and communicate automatically, adjusting to how kids play with them. Built-in technology allows the bricks to ‘understand’ each other and respond to the builder’s creations.
LEGO SMART Bricks are equipped with sensors that let them understand their position, orientation, and distance from other bricks. Just one brick and a tag can power up a wide variety of creations, allowing you to build hundreds, or even thousands, of interactive models.
Does LEGO SMART Play Use AI?
Actually, LEGO SMART Play doesn’t use any artificial intelligence, despite AI being a popular topic in technology right now.
Why Is LEGO SMART Play So Important?
LEGO SMART Play is genuinely impressive, and there’s a good reason why. Today, there aren’t many options for play that don’t involve screens. However, just because something is screen-free doesn’t mean it can’t be updated with modern technology. LEGO SMART Play isn’t about changing what LEGO is, but about improving the classic play experience that LEGO has always been known for. The technology is exciting, but it’s meant to enhance, not replace, traditional LEGO play.
The LEGO brick is the core of every build, but LEGO continues to innovate, adding new features without sacrificing the hands-on, creative play it’s known for. Adding elements like lights, sound, and interactive features simply enhances the imaginative experience. It’s a fantastic example of technology being used to improve something already great – something we don’t often see, as many companies try to completely reinvent their products instead.
What LEGO Sets Belong to the LEGO SMART Play Collection?
The new LEGO SMART Play collection will begin with three LEGO Star Wars sets: the Luke’s Red Five X-Wing, Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, and the Throne Room Duel & A-Wing building sets.
The initial LEGO SMART Play sets will be complete packages, offering everything needed for the full experience. Each set will include a LEGO SMART Brick with its charger, plus at least one LEGO SMART Minifigure and one LEGO SMART Tag.
You can learn all about them here.
When Will LEGO Smart Play Products Release?
I’m so excited for the official launch of LEGO SMART Play on March 1st, 2026! And even better, the LEGO Star Wars All-in-One sets are going up for pre-order on January 9th! You’ll be able to buy them starting March 1st at LEGO.com, LEGO Stores, and at some other retailers in select locations.
As a longtime LEGO fan, I’m excited to see the “LEGO SMART Play” system is still growing! They’re promising more updates, new building sets, and even incorporating new technologies. If you’re curious to see what all the buzz is about, I’d recommend checking out their official site at LEGO.com/smart-play – that’s where you’ll find all the details.
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2026-01-05 22:04