LEGO Smart Play Is Going to Change How We Play with LEGO
LEGO just took a massive step forward with innovation, and it feels like one of those moments fans will be talking about for a long time.
Revealed at CES 2026, LEGO Smart Play introduces interactive technology that lets physical LEGO sets react to how they’re handled. These aren’t toys that just sit there once you finish building them.
They respond. They play back. They turn your actions into part of the experience. LEGO Smart Play isn’t about screens or apps either. It’s all built directly into the bricks, which makes the whole thing feel surprisingly pure.
At the center of this new system is the Smart Brick. According to LEGO’s press release, it packs “more than 20 patented world-firsts within its technology.”
Inside is a chip smaller than a standard LEGO stud, along with accelerometers, light and sound sensors, a miniature speaker with an onboard synthesizer, and wireless charging. That single brick becomes the brain of the entire build.
Supporting it are Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures. The Smart Tags are thin plates similar to those seen in the Super Mario LEGO sets, while the Smart Minifigures allow characters to recognize actions, locations, and even each other. Together, these elements let sets react dynamically as you play.
Smart Play is launching with three Star Wars sets that are doing a lot to show off what this tech can do. The lineup includes Luke’s Red Five X-Wing, Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, and The Throne Room Duel & A-Wing. Each one is loaded with interactive elements that respond to movement and context.
The Throne Room Duel set recreates the final confrontation between Luke and Vader in front of the Emperor, complete with handles that let you physically clash the minifigures’ lightsabers. The set responds with context-sensitive sound effects as the fight plays out, making it feel more like an interactive scene than a static display.
All three LEGO Smart Play sets are scheduled to hit shelves on March 1, 2026.
The company is calling Smart Play one of the most significant evolutions to the brand since the minifigure debuted in 1978.
Senior VP and head of LEGO’s Creative Play Lab, Tom Donaldson, summed up the ambition behind the project by saying 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.”
Kids are absolutely the target audience, but it’s hard not to see the potential here for older fans too. Imagine large-scale movie sets where characters trigger dialogue based on who they’re standing next to or where they’re placed.
A place like Rivendell reacting differently depending on which members of the Fellowship are present feels completely possible now. The tech opens the door to storytelling in a way LEGO hasn’t really touched before.
LEGO Smart Play feels like the start of something big. It keeps the joy of building intact while adding a layer of interaction that actually enhances play instead of distracting from it. It’s going to be a fun ride watching where this Smart Play goes.
