Mark My Words, Nex Playground Will Be *The* Kids’ Gift of 2024

What *Exactly* Is the Nex Playground?

Imagine a video game system where you didn’t need controllers. The device tracks you with its camera, so your movements are reflected on screen. (Oh, and the “character” you’re playing in these games? It’s typically streaming video of you, and whoever else is playing along with you.) To that end, the brand says the video footage isn’t stored anywhere, and the Nex Playground has been kidSAFE+ COPPA certified, which means it ensures any personal information collected from kids is kept private and secure. (The content itself is also vetted and moderated to ensure it’s age appropriate.)

How It Works

As someone who dreads longwinded instruction manuals, I appreciated that the setup instructions were visual, simple and straightforward. (Use the included HDMI cable to connect to the TV, plug in the power cord and follow the prompts on screen.)

Immediately, a screen fires up, displaying the available games. Five come standard with the device: Fruit Ninja (a full-scale version of the popular fruit-slicing app), Whack-a-Mole, Party Fowl (a party game that players against each other to complete silly challenges), Go Keeper (a soccer-playing game) and Starri (a Dance Dance Revolution-esque game).

How Much Do Extra Games Cost? And What Do You Get?

To access the full lineup of 20+ games, you’ll need a Play Pass, which costs $49 a quarter or $89 for the year. While somewhat annoying—does everything have a recurring subscription cost these days?—it still felt cheaper than paying $50+ per video game, like most other consoles require.

The Play Pass unlocks a whole world of new games, featuring a lot of familiar brands and characters, like Peppa Pig, Elmo, Candyland, Connect4 and Miraculous Ladybug. This is what got my daughter—and most kids who played it—most excited. For the under-five set, they could play Simon Says, hosted by Elmo! Or be a real-life Hungry Hungry Hippo! Or splash in muddy puddles with Peppa!

For older kids, the puzzles, strategy games and sports were more alluring. Basketball Knockout, for example, lets you go head-to-head to see who can dunk the most baskets the fastest. Neo-Witch requires you to tap into your inner sorcerer, as you wave your arms to conduct spells and defeat villains.

Before you start a game, a screen pops up that gives a brief synopsis of the game, as well as the intended age (preschool games are 3 and up; most others are 6 and up), how physically demanding it is, and the number of people who can play. Several games allow up to four people to play, though you’ll likely need to move your furniture to give everyone an arm’s length of space to play. Because, fair warning, once you get playing, you will get in the zone and lose all sense of the world outside of the game. So keep your breakables far away and be aware that your child may unwittingly karate chop you, if you’re standing too closely.

How Responsive Is It?

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Nex Playground picked up our movements—and didn’t get us mixed up, even as my daughter, husband and I played side-by-side in an 8-foot by 10-foot space. However, it does get mixed up from time to time if someone sits behind you to watch you play and is directly in line with the camera. If my husband—or even our 1-year-old—sat behind me while playing, the device would sometimes pick them up as an additional player, or interpret their movements as mine. (So, if you want to spectate, it’s best to do so from the sidelines.)

Will It Entertain Kids for the Long Haul?

With new games coming out routinely, I have high hopes that it will continue to engage kids. That said, if the releases slow down, I can see kids growing bored of cycling through the same 20ish (or five, if you don’t have a Play Pass) again and again.

It would definitely be a lifesaver on rainy days and snow days, when you can’t go outside but you desperately need your kids to burn off some energy. Also, thanks to its small size, you can easily unplug it and take it with you to a friend or relative’s house, then log in with your Play Pass to keep the fun going wherever you are.

Is the Nex Playground Good for Adults?

This gaming system is definitely meant for kids, but there is one feature adults may appreciate: NexGym Fitness. It reminds me of a way cheaper alternative to Mirror, where you can choose from several quick workout routines, from weight training to HIIT, all under 21 minutes. (Some are as short as 3 minutes.) As it tracks you, you can correct your form, and it’s a fun, fast way to boost your cardio.

Now, did I look absurd doing these workouts? Yes. Did I feel a little silly doing them? Yes. And did they force someone whose greatest cardio achievement over the previous week was dashing upstairs to ensure her curling iron was off to, you know, actually break a sweat? Also, yes.