You've never heard of Nex Playground, but it's one of the most interestingly designed games consoles out there

While the world (and yes me) go gaga over Nintendo Switch 2, there's a little-known games console that's trying something different, a tiny box of ideas that reimagines Nintendo Wii-like active gaming but with no controller. It's what happens when former Apple devs and designers, with a history in AI-assisted sports training, decided to get into games.

Nex Playground isn't trying to go head-to-head with Switch 2, PS5 or Xbox Series S/X (or any of the best games consoles), instead it slides to one side and aims to offer something a little different. A little like Playdate, the Nex Playground is a designer's games console and, well… it's a little bit wonderful.

Where PC gaming descends into LED overkill and Sony chases AI-enhanced graphics, Nex Playground is a paired-down unassuming little box that can sit in the palm of my hand (it measures 3 x 3 x 3 inches) and feels like callback to the Atari heyday but with cutting-edge motion capture. (Read my best retro consoles guide if you're an Atari fan.)

Nex Playground is gaming cubed

This small playful cube isn't aiming to compete with PS55 Pro. It's minimalist design and pastel colouring feels more like a child's toy than a high-spec games console, and really it is just that, a digital toy box.

As much a piece of homeware as hardware, Nex Playground has been designed with the view to rethink what a games console should be, and feel like. The games are simple and designed around no-controller activities – bowling, tennis, dancing and arcade knockabouts – so they won't compete with Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World, but they're engaging and satisfyingly physical.

"We wanted it to feel approachable, fun and easy to fit into any living room," says Nex's CEO, David Lee. He means this too, the design isn't just small, it's deliberate. The cube was chosen for its versatility and simplicity. It's compact enough to fit into a shelf or under a TV and isn't a plain black box.

The idea is to design a games for young child and the family, something active and engaging. "Especially with Nintendo’s Switch 2 releasing, there’s renewed attention on the family entertainment space," confides David.

With this in mind, Nex partnered with San Francisco's Level, an industrial design studio led by mothers (yes, you read that right), to get the details right. The result is a console that doesn't feel techy or intimidating; it has a simple cheerful UI, thats honestly very Nintendo in feel.

Design makes a difference

Aesthetically Nex Playground is a little different, but it's how you use the console that the team hope they'll make a difference. Nintendo Wii, and to an extent Switch games like Ring Fit, altered my perception of how games can be played and what they can be, and Nex Playground aims to take the 'active gaming' idea further.

While Wii and Switch still rely on a controller to control the game or interact, Nex Playground is just motion control – I can slash and swing by using my arms and even make a character (a Teenage Ninja Turtle) jump by, well… jumping. There are no remotes, no wearables, just the console's camera and motion capture tech inside the cube.

We've been here before with EyeToy for PlayStation 3, which was a huge hit at the time, but the motion detection inside Nex Playground feels a generational leap ahead – more accurate, less lag, faster and easier to setup. (And to an extent, it's what VR passthrough from Apple Vision Pro promised but underdelivered.)

The games are very simple, by design. But the blend of arcade directness and fitness apps as well as brands like Paramount, DreamWorks Animation and Mattel demonstrate Nex understands its user – young children and parents who want to squeeze in a boxercise class before the school run (found in Nex's own BoxFlow Fitness).

Nex offers a subscription model, with a flat annual fee and new games added monthly. "Our subscription model is about helping families stay active all year round," says David. "This is why we don’t sell games individually, and why Play Pass is central to our approach, not just an upsell. It ensures families always have fresh, engaging content that keeps them active and prevents the feeling of having 'finished' a game or outgrown it."

Design matters for a 'family focused games console'. In a sea of black consoles Nex Playground feels friendly.

The colour palette is soft, the texture inviting. This games console is a pop of pastel and fits perfectly into a living room and home. "We didn’t want it to feel like another high-tech device that dominates the space," David says. "It should feel like it belongs in your home, not your server room."

It's a design that has been noticed and won awards, including Red Dot Award, iF Design Award, Core77 Design Award, and IDSA’s IDEA Award.

The design matches the 'active gaming' approach and ease of use - games can even be picked and closed with hand gestures, and while it comes with a small remote for setup and on/off, once in play it's movement controlled.

"It’s a great fit for families who want to keep their kids moving," David explains. "Whether that’s through sports, mindful screen use, or just a way to stay active on a rainy day."

Instead of the solitary, thumb-tapping gameplay many parents dread, Nex is positioning itself as the antidote to modern game design, endless Fornite sessions and sedentary gaming – a complementary alternative to traditional consoles like the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 5.

Nex Playground could be a series Switch alt

David is keen to mention that there's no video stored locally or in the cloud, and it’s all wrapped in KidSafe+ COPPA certification, with no ads, in-app purchases, or mature content. The cube also comes with a little cap to place over the camera when not in use, avoiding the fear of being watched.

Nex Playground is super-simple, it's games are more basic than you'd find on more powerful consoles. But David believes the Nex team has hit on a gaming trend that was pushed by Sony and Nintendo but has since been dropped in recent years.

“There’s a cultural shift happening,” David says. "Screens aren’t going away, but how we use them is evolving. Families are looking for healthier, more connected ways to integrate tech into their lives."

David sees Nex Playground as a bridge – it's not replacing existing games consoles but is expanding on the design and definition of what gaming can be. Connection over conflict, activity over passivity, togetherness instead of isolation.

David tells me: "Our goal isn’t just to revive motion gaming and reclaim the family gaming space, but to redefine what screen time can look like in a healthy, connected home."

Nex Playground is on sale now, available at Target, Best Buy and Walmart priced $199.99. Read more on the Nex Playground website.