Buckle up, because I think the new Lego Smart Play is about to change everything

Lego Smart Play just changed the game – literally.

Announced at CES 2026, this design injects new life into the best Lego sets with interactive technology that lets them react to what you're doing. Rather than just being played with, models powered by Lego Smart Play can now play back.

The 'Smart Brick' is leading the charge, and the press release says it packs "more than 20 patented world-firsts within its technology." Powered by a chip smaller than your average Lego stud, this gizmo features accelerometers to go with light/sound sensing, a miniature speaker with an onboard synthesiser, and wireless charging. It's joined by the 'Smart Tag' (flat plates a bit like the ones seen in the Super Mario kits) and Smart Minifigures, which allow these tiny characters to interact with and respond to you.

Lego Smart Play will first be available in a trio of Star Wars sets: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing (which also includes Leia, R2-D2, a Stormtrooper, and a Rebel), Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, and the Throne Room Duel & A-Wing kit. The latter recreates the final battle between Vader and Luke before the Emperor, with handles that let the two minifigs 'fight' using their lightsabers – all to context-sensitive sound effects.

Image 1 of 8

These three sets will become available on March 1, 2026.

Suffice to say, this is a huge change – Lego is calling it one of the most significant evolutions since the minifigure was added in 1978. Senior VP & head of Lego's Creative Play Lab, Tom Donaldson, seems to agree, saying that the invention "brings creativity, technology, and storytelling together to make building worlds and stories even more engaging, and all without a screen. We truly believe we are setting a new standard for interactive, imaginative experiences and can’t wait to see this innovation in the hands of kids when we launch this year."

While I think it'll be appreciated most by those kids, there's a lot of rope here. How about movie-inspired sets like Rivendell, where the Fellowship spit out context-sensitive quotes based on who/what they're with? You could spend a long time dreaming up applications for Smart Play.

It feels like the logical next step from those interactive Super Mario models, anyway – but in my mind, it goes one better by cramming all that technical wizardry into standard minifigures.

• Save up to $30 on Lego at Amazon

For more toy-related fun, why not check out the best toys, the best Star Wars toys, or the best Nerf blasters?