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The pastel box sits in front of the televisionNex PlaygroundThe pastel box which sits neatly in front of the television is pleasingly teeny – and pretty.
The Nex Playground follows a similar model to the immensely popular Nintendo Wii, but without the controllers, instead using a wide-angle lens and AI-powered tracking activated by your body’s movements.
It’s quick and easy to set up; in 10 minutes we were ready to go. There is a remote, but it’s only really needed for scrolling through the games. It promises a secure gaming environment – no ads, no mature content, no in-app purchases.
You could happily leave your children playing with it knowing that it’s a closed ecosystem.
None of your embarrassing dance moves are stored under the normal “to improve the tech” justification. The console retails at £269, but comes with only five games, including Whac-a-Mole and Fruit Ninja. The subscription to unlock a further 60 games is £90 a year. Worth it? In America, they think so — Nex has already sold more than a million consoles there.
Nex playground
★★★★★
- Dimensions: 7.6 x 7.6 x 7.6cm
- Connection: HDMI
- Processor Arm: Cortex A-Series SoC
AmazonMy son, aged six, dived straight into Fruit Ninja, slicing watermelons and apples. My three-year-old daughter took longer to catch on, but it’s a much less sluggish way for her to see her favourite characters than sitting on the sofa.
For half an hour we danced, jumped over pretend puddles and mixed cartoon cakes – we could have carried on for hours. An excellent addition to games night.