I went into my LEGO Smart Play hands-on at CES 2026 confused about how the system actually works and what the Smart Brick means for longtime LEGO fans like myself.
Based on the comments on our social videos, you're right there with me: Who asked for this? Isn't this just going to make LEGO sets even more expensive? What's the point?
But after spending real, hands-on time with the LEGO Smart Brick and getting a deeper dive into how Smart Play actually works, I walked away with a different perspective.
What is the LEGO Smart Brick?
If there’s one thing you’ve probably heard about LEGO Smart Play, it’s the Smart Brick. At a glance, it looks like a modified 2x4. But inside that tiny brick is a frankly wild amount of tech including: a silicon chip, a motion sensor and gyroscope, a pressure-sensing non-listening microphone, built-in speakers, LEDs on top and a light sensor that can replicate color.
Seeing all of that packed into something that still functions as a LEGO brick is impressive on an engineering level alone. With all these features, the Smart Brick isn’t meant to sit anywhere passively. Shake it to wake it, and you get up to about 40 minutes of active play time.
During that window, movement drives all of the visual and audio responses. But it's important to clarify that the Smart Brick doesn’t actually do anything on its own. To come alive, it needs instructions.
What is a LEGO Smart Tag?
A LEGO Smart Brick is controlled by LEGO Smart Tags. These are square studs with RFID chips inside them, each pre-programmed with specific behaviors.
LEGO showed off a bunch of concept demos, such as a duck Smart Tag that makes the brick quack and flash yellow. I also saw a helicopter tag that triggers whirring sounds. Flip that same brick upside down and the motion sensor kicks in, flashing red lights and triggering a Mayday-style alert.
Those examples are just demonstrations of what the system can do, but they're not products you can buy today. More on that in a moment.
What is a LEGO Smart Minifigure?
Smart Minifigures matter just as much, if not more, as Smart Tags.
Each Smart Minifigure has its own internal tag that changes how the Smart Brick behaves based on proximity. So the same Smart Tag can behave differently depending on what kind of character is nearby.
One demonstration had a robber minifigure attempt to hop inside a car containing a Smart Brick attached to a police car Smart Tag. The Smart Brick started blaring sirens, naturally. But when the police officer minifigure approached the car, the sirens turned off.
LEGO Star Wars Smart Play sets
Here’s where I get why people are frustrated. LEGO Smart Play is new, experimental, and yes, it comes with a cost. The most comparable non-Smart Play LEGO X-Wing set (75301) with 474 pieces ran for $49 until it was retired in 2024.
The LEGO Star Wars Smart Play Luke’s Red Five X-Wing comes with 584 pieces and will run for $99. But LEGO isn't necessarily basing price by piece — it's based off how many Smart Minifigures and SMART Tags you get.
- Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter: $69, 743 pieces (1 minifigure)
- Luke’s Red Five X-wing: $99, 584 pieces (2 minifigures)
- Throne Room Duel & A-wing: $159, 962 (3 minifigures)
Launching Smart Play in Star Wars sets, which are already among the most expensive LEGO builds, amplifies that sticker shock. If you’re an adult collector like me, someone who buys these sets to display rather than to flail around with lights and sounds, it can feel like you’re paying extra for a feature you might never use.
But I've urged myself to keep kids in mind. Young fans of LEGO Star Wars TV shows, movies and games will no doubt love the sound effects that feel straight out of the content that famously doesn't take itself too seriously.
What LEGO Smart Play sets are coming next?
LEGO hasn't announced any future plans for Smart Play sets beyond the trio of Star Wars ones, but we have to assume there are other franchises in the works.
Part of me wishes LEGO launched with Speed Champions or other automotive builds. Imagine an F1 car that reacts to motion, engine sounds that roar when you push it along. To me, that feels like a perfect match for the Smart Brick's technology, and I hope we see it soon.
LEGO Smart Play: Verdict
After toying with the Smart Brick and seeing the broader Smart Play vision, it’s hard not to think bigger.
LEGO is clearly treating the Star Wars sets as a starting point, but the duck and helicopter demos weren’t random.
I would be shocked if LEGO doesn’t eventually sell Smart Bricks and Smart Tags individually, letting kids build whatever they want and assign behaviors afterward.
You could build something that looks nothing like its assigned tag and still have it behave completely differently. Think: a monster that quacks like a duck, or a bizarre dinosaur-shaped spaceship that sounds like an X-Wing.
I didn’t walk away from LEGO Smart Play thinking it’s for everyone, but I did walk away understanding it. This isn’t LEGO trying to turn bricks into screens or shove an app into every build.
Yes, it adds cost. Yes, collectors are justified in being annoyed, but no one is forcing you to buy these sets.
As someone who’s wondered how LEGO would refocus on kids in recent years, I’m comfortable waiting to see how Smart Play evolves. And it won't even be that long of a wait. The LEGO Star Wars Smart Play sets launch March 1, 2026.
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