It’s been a busy few days here in Las Vegas at CES 2026, but I’ve managed to find the time to spend about an hour trying out Lego’s biggest change to its iconic brick since 1958.
That change takes a very familiar form. At first glance, it’s a classic 2 x 4 brick – complete with the familiar studs – topped with a clear, transparent cap and housed in a black shell. But under the hood, it’s packed with technology.
You might notice what I haven’t mentioned: there’s no app. And that’s a key part of this shift. Unlike previous Lego rollouts that leaned heavily on screens, Smart Play is designed as an additive experience. It stacks on top of the traditional Lego build-and-play formula, and if you’re not interested in it, participation isn’t required. After going hands-on with Smart Play, though, I expect most builders will want to explore what it can do.
It’s all about play
Lego Smart Play makes one thing clear very quickly: this is for kids, or for anyone who actually plays with their Lego. You can absolutely build the X-Wing, TIE Fighter, or Emperor’s Throne and display them, but Smart Play isn’t optimizing for shelf presence – it’s designed to be picked up, moved around, and actively used.
That intent is especially clear with the X-Wing and TIE Fighter, which feel purpose-built for dogfights. Nothing I handled felt fragile or precious, and the way the Smart Bricks are integrated reinforces that these sets are meant for real play. Lego’s designers clearly factored in the reality of kids flying ships around and smashing imaginary lasers together.
During my hands-on time, I didn’t encounter any misfires. The Smart Brick consistently detected nearby Minifigures and Smart Tags, and everything worked as expected as long as the main brick was charged. There were no moments where I felt like I had to ‘teach’ the system what I was doing – it simply responded, with lights or sounds.
One of the smartest design choices is how physical Lego play directly enables the tech experience. On the TIE Fighter, for example, a blaster sound is triggered by blocking and unblocking a sensor next to the Smart Brick using an actual Lego element – essentially pushing in a trigger. There’s no button or hidden switch; it’s a classic, tactile interaction.
I didn’t build the Star Wars sets from scratch during the demo, but I spent plenty of time playing with them — including the X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and Throne. I pulled a Smart Brick off its wireless charger, placed R2-D2 – with a Smart Tag on his back – in front of it, and immediately heard his familiar droid tones.
From there, I put R2-D2 in the back of the X-Wing, Luke in the cockpit, and positioned a Smart Brick in the middle of the build – and that’s when the tech stopped being the point.
Without really thinking about it, I started flying the X-Wing through the air. Engine sounds rose and fell as I moved it, and when I flipped the ship upside down, R2-D2 let out a startled scream. There was no setup or instruction – just cause and effect. It felt instinctive, the kind of play that invites you to fill in the story yourself.
Imagination over instruction
Right now, Lego isn’t opening up the underlying tech behind the Smart Bricks, Smart Minifigures, or Smart Tags. What was shown behind the scenes during the demos hints at a broader system, but the experience at launch is intentionally loose.
There’s no predefined story or scripted sequence. Sounds, lights, and reactions are driven by proximity, motion, and placement. In demos, Lego also showed how Smart Bricks can detect color using an ambient light sensor and mirror it with onboard LEDs – even passing those colors to nearby Smart Bricks via Smart Tags – all in real time, with no setup required.
The Smart Bricks can also react to where a Smart Minifigure is in space, whether it’s nearby, above, below, or even across the room, underscoring that while the play feels simple, this system is clearly built on a serious technical foundation.
Put Darth Vader in an X-Wing, and you might trigger something unexpected. Leave R2-D2 on the ground while lifting the X-Wing with Luke inside, and you could hear a panicked droid scream from below.
The system handles sounds and lights quietly in the background, leaving you free to tell new stories with familiar characters.
Battery life, charging, and pricing
Battery life is inevitably part of the Smart Play conversation. Lego says each Smart Brick can deliver around 40 minutes of continuous play, which may sound modest on paper. In practice, the system isn’t designed for constant activation – it’s built around bursts of play, pauses, and rebuilds.
Charging is refreshingly simple. The Smart Bricks charge wirelessly via a bright yellow rectangular charging pad with a USB-C port, which is included in the box. There’s a subtle divot through the center, and you can place the Smart Bricks on it in any orientation – no lining things up or fiddling with contacts.
Lego also told me it isn’t concerned about Smart Bricks remaining dormant for extended periods. When not in use, they enter a low-power sleep state, and waking them is as simple as a shake.
The new Lego Smart Play sets start at $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.99. That isn’t cheap, but it’s broadly in line with Lego’s pricing – especially for licensed Star Wars sets, now with electronics baked in. The added interactivity feels meaningful rather than gimmicky, particularly for kids who will actively play with these sets.
Let’s actually break down the three sets, which go up for preorder on January 9, 2026:
- Lego Star Wars SMART Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter: This set contains 473 pieces to build the TIE Fighter, an outpost, and a fueling station. It includes one Smart Brick, a Darth Vader Smart Minifigure, a TIE Fighter Smart Tag, and a standard Rebel Pilot Minifigure. It’s priced at $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.99.
- LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing: Contains 584 pieces to build the X-Wing, a command center, a transporter, and an Imperial turret. Includes one Smart Brick, two Smart Minifigures (Luke Skywalker and General Leia Organa), five Smart Tags, R2-D2, and standard Minifigures. It’s priced at $99.99 / £79.99 / AU$149.99.
- LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-Wing: The largest set at 962 pieces, featuring the Death Star throne room with a swiveling chair and an A-Wing fighter. Includes three Smart Minifigures (Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Luke Skywalker), two Smart Bricks, and five Smart Tags.
Image 1 of 3
Where Smart Play goes next
What stood out most during my time with Smart Play is how little the system demands from you. Within minutes, the technology fades into the background and play takes over – which is where Lego has always shined, especially for kids.
My first impressions are that Smart Play feels genuinely promising. It’s fun, intuitive, and intentionally additive. It doesn’t try to redefine Lego or push technology to the foreground; it quietly gives the imagination more to work with.
This also feels very much like a foundation. Star Wars is an obvious subject for the launch of Smart Play, but it’s easy to imagine how this system could grow – whether that’s more Star Wars sets or Lego’s own worlds like City, Speed Champions, Construction, or Space.
For now, Smart Play does exactly what a first look should: it makes me want to spend more time with it and see where Lego takes this next. It’s also something you really need to experience firsthand.
It won’t be for everyone, but then again, it’s designed for play – and that’s arguably Lego’s roots. I love a display piece, too, but I can easily see myself grabbing these sets and using the Smart Bricks and Tags with other builds.
TechRadar will be extensively covering this year’s CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.
And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AknXeXLExVxmmPfTAndvqM-2560-80.jpg
Source link
jacob.krol@futurenet.com (Jacob Krol)
