This $249 cube is winning Christmas
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The Nex Playground, a $249 movement-based gaming console, is a holiday hit. Sales are projected to reach $150 million this year.
A surprising contender has emerged as one of the hottest holiday gifts: a small cube from a relatively unknown tech startup. The Nex Playground, a $249 device, encourages kids to be active while playing video games.
Unlike traditional consoles, the Nex Playground uses body movements, tracked by a camera, to control the gameplay. According to Circana, only the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 outsold it during Black Friday week. The device itself is a 2.83-inch cube, available in pastel colors, weighing less than a pound, and designed to sit unobtrusively under a TV.
Nex, the company behind the Playground, initially developed HomeCourt, a basketball shot-tracking app utilizing computer vision and AI. The company then transitioned to creating Active Arcade, a workout app that incorporates game-like elements, before ultimately shifting its focus to hardware with the Nex Playground.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Nex sold 5,000 units of the Playground in 2023. Sales figures have jumped significantly since then. Last year saw 150,000 units sold, and the company is projecting 600,000 units sold this year, generating $150 million in revenue.
