I have many thoughts about LEGO, but none of them include the word “smart.” Perhaps that is why I was pleasantly surprised when LEGO announced that it is entering the world of tech-powered interactive play. LEGO just made one of the most significant changes to its lineup in decades by unveiling the new Smart Play platform at CES 2026. Smart Play is designed to transform analog plastic blocks into tech-powered, enabling interactive play without screens, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
The new platform flaunts over 20 patented world-firsts within its technology. At the heart of Smart Play is the LEGO Smart Brick, powered by a custom-made chip. This tiny brick can bring play to life through sensors, accelerometers, light sensing, and a sound sensor, along with a miniature speaker driven by an onboard synthesizer.
Smart Play involves LEGO’s patented sensor- and tech-packed 2 x 4 brick, which comes into play on March 1st, 2026, when it lands as part of a special Star Wars collection. This latest update brings interactive lights and sounds to the LEGO experience, including the minifigures. Imagine humming lightsabers, light-up blasters, roaring engines, and the theme song playing…chills. Literal, chills!
The “Smart Bricks” and “Smart Play” are wirelessly charged with a pad that can power multiple bricks simultaneously and a battery that “will still perform after years of inactivity.” There is a tiny computer inside the classic 2 x 4 LEGO brick. When the computer detects NFC-equipped smart tags nearby, embedded in new LEGO tiles or new minifigs, or when it senses other Smart Bricks, the company says it brings the entire set to life with lights and sound. With these tech-powered components, kids and adults can create context-based sounds and light effects as they build their sets.
Also Read: LEGO Unveils 8 New Star Wars Sets From George Lucas’ Galaxy
LEGO has also introduced a local wireless layer, connecting all of this, called BrickNet. It is based on Bluetooth and uses LEGO’s proprietary “Neighbor Position Measurement” system to let the Smart Bricks know their proximity to each other.
Launching on March 1, the $100 LEGO Star Wars Smart Play Luke’s Red Five X-Wing 584-piece building set comes with two Smart Minifigs, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, R2D2, and Rebel crew, Stormtrooper minifigures, and five Smart Tags to offer laser-shooting sounds, engine sounds, and light effects. All the sounds are coordinated by the set’s central Smart Brick brain to create an immersive experience.
Two other Smart Play sets include 473-piece Darth Vader’s TIE fighter and 962-piece Throne Room Duel & A-Wing. Combined, these three Smart Play LEGO Star Wars sets will provide an interactive play experience, full of exploration and imaginative storytelling. With LEGO SMART Play, iconic stories and characters of the Star Wars galaxy will come to life like never before. I cannot wait to get my hands on all three to enact various scenes from the original trilogy. “Luke, I am your father” is at the top of my list, followed by the fight.
The sets will be available for pre-order starting January 9, and by March, you can get your hands on them, so it’s not much of a wait. Since this technology is new to LEGO, it is hard to say how it would look once it comes together, but it sure as hell sounds amazing.
Via: StarWars.com
