Lego has revealed what it is calling the biggest evolution of its iconic bricks in almost 50 years, unveiling the new Lego Smart Play system at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Described by the company as the most significant change since the introduction of the Minifigure, Smart Play introduces interactive bricks that respond to how they are built and played with using sound, light and movement, all without screens, apps or internet connections.
At the heart of the system is the Lego Smart Brick, a standard-sized 2 x 4 brick packed with technology. With just one Smart Brick, Lego says players can bring entire creations to life. During live demonstrations at CES, Lego cars revved their engines, a Lego duck quacked and even snored when tipped on its side, and a pilot minifigure cried “woah!” when flipped upside down.
When multiple Smart Bricks were added, Lego showcased what it calls a decentralised network of play, where bricks communicate directly with one another to create shared, reactive behaviour across a build.
How Smart Play works
The Smart Play system is made up of three new interactive elements:
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Smart Bricks
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Smart Minifigures
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Smart Tags
Inside each Smart Brick is a custom-made 4.1mm ASIC chip, which Lego says is smaller than a standard Lego stud, running what the company calls the Play Engine. The brick includes sensors such as an accelerometer, light and sound sensors, an LED array, integrated copper coils and a tiny speaker with an onboard synthesiser.
These components allow the brick to detect motion, orientation, distance, direction, colours and nearby sounds. Audio is generated dynamically in response to play actions, rather than simply triggering pre-recorded clips.
Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures are simpler but crucial to the system. Each contains a digital ID that the Smart Brick can read using near-field magnetic communication. The tag or minifigure tells the brick what it is meant to represent, such as a vehicle, character, animal or object, and how it should behave during play.
Connecting everything together is BrickNet, a local wireless network based on Bluetooth and Lego’s proprietary Neighbour Position Measurement technology. This allows Smart Bricks to detect how close they are to each other and how they are oriented, letting them communicate directly without any external devices.
Power comes from long-life batteries designed to retain charge even after years of inactivity, with wireless charging allowing multiple bricks to be charged at once on a shared pad.
Launching with Star Wars
Lego is launching Smart Play with its largest licensed partner, Star Wars. Three interactive sets will be available for pre-order from 9 January, with a full launch on 1 March.
The initial Smart Play Star Wars range includes:
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Luke’s Red Five X-Wing (584 pieces)
Includes two Smart Minifigures, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, one Smart Brick and five Smart Tags.
Price: approximately $A150 -
Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter (473 pieces)
Comes with a Smart Darth Vader Minifigure, a Rebel Fleet Trooper Minifigure, one Smart Brick and one Smart Tag, with interactive engine sounds.
Price: approximately $A105 -
Throne Room Duel & A-Wing (962 pieces)
Features three Smart Minifigures, Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine and Jedi Luke Skywalker, two Smart Bricks and five Smart Tags, allowing fans to recreate and reimagine the climactic duel from Return of the Jedi.
Price: approximately $A240
The prices are higher than comparable non-smart Lego sets, but Lego says the added technology and interactive play value justify the premium.
“For over 90 years, the Lego Group has sparked imagination and creativity in children around the globe,” said Julia Goldin, Chief Product and Marketing Officer of the Lego Group. “As the world evolves, so do we. Lego Smart Play is the next exciting chapter in our Lego System in Play and something we are incredibly excited to bring to the world at this scale.”
While it remains to be seen how fans will respond to this new direction, Smart Play represents Lego’s boldest move yet into connected, responsive play while staying true to its screen-free roots.
