Key Facts
- ✓ The LEGO Group developed Smart Play for approximately eight years before its CES 2026 unveiling
- ✓ Smart Bricks contain sensors that allow sets to respond to movement, sounds, and proximity to Smart Minifigures
- ✓ Smart Tags provide context so the system knows whether a brick is in a helicopter, car, or other build
- ✓ The Star Wars Throne Room Duel & A-Wing set costs $160 and contains nearly 1,000 pieces
- ✓ The system was designed specifically for children's social play and interactive experiences
Quick Summary
The LEGO Group has introduced Smart Play, a new technology system designed to make building sets more interactive and social for children. The system emerged from an eight-year development period and was unveiled at CES.
Smart Play relies on two main components: Smart Bricks filled with sensors and Smart Tags that provide context. These elements allow sets to respond to each other, detect movement, play sounds, and recognize when Smart Minifigures are nearby. The tags help the system identify whether a brick is part of a helicopter, car, or other build.
According to company leadership, the technology was created with children's needs as the primary focus. The system aims to support social play, provide changing experiences when children return to their builds, and offer agency through user control.
The initial launch centers on Star Wars themed sets, with the largest set costing $160 for nearly 1,000 pieces. This represents a notable price increase over traditional sets, raising questions about parent adoption. Lego is betting on the franchise's popularity to drive initial acceptance before expanding to other product lines.
Smart Play Technology and Design Philosophy
The Smart Play system represents a deliberate move to integrate technology without overshadowing the physical building experience. The core innovation lies in Smart Bricks, which contain embedded sensors that enable communication between different parts of a set. These bricks can detect when sets are moving, trigger audio responses, and sense the presence of compatible Smart Minifigures.
Complementing the bricks are Smart Tags, tiny identifiers that provide crucial context to the system. These tags allow the Smart Brick to understand its specific application within a build. For example, the same brick can recognize whether it has been incorporated into a helicopter, a car, or a duck, enabling context-appropriate responses and interactions.
Tom Donaldson, senior VP and Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group, explained that the development process prioritized creating a robust foundation before defining specific use cases. The company spent years ensuring the platform was flexible and powerful enough to support future innovations.
The design philosophy focused on understanding what children actually want from their play experiences. Donaldson identified three key elements that drive children's engagement: social interaction, the ability to see changes when they return to builds, and a sense of agency over their creations.
"We started really looking at consumer needs, and this idea that kids really like social play. Kids really like the sort of things that change when they come back to them, and the kids really like agency. They want to be able to change things."
— Tom Donaldson, Senior VP and Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group
Development Process and Platform Strategy
The creation of Smart Play followed an unconventional development path. Rather than starting with specific product ideas, the LEGO Group focused on building what Donaldson described as a "really powerful platform." The team deliberately avoided limiting the technology's potential by predefining its applications.
Instead, the strategy involved creating a system with extensive capabilities and then exploring how to apply those capabilities across different scenarios. This approach allowed the technology to evolve based on creative possibilities rather than predetermined constraints.
The company worked for approximately eight years before introducing Smart Play to the public. During this time, the team refined the sensor technology, tag system, and integration methods to ensure they met the company's standards for durability and play value.
Donaldson emphasized that the platform has "tremendous growth potential." He drew an analogy to the minifigure, noting that while Smart Play technology may not appear in every single product, it will likely reappear across many different Lego lines, similar to how minifigures became a system-wide element.
Star Wars Launch and Market Strategy
The LEGO Group chose Star Wars as the launch vehicle for Smart Play, introducing three initial sets. The flagship product, Throne Room Duel & A-Wing, contains nearly 1,000 pieces and carries a $160 price tag. This set includes two Smart Bricks, five Smart Tags, and three Smart Minifigures—the highest concentration of smart components among the launch sets.
The pricing reflects both the Star Wars licensing costs and the Smart Play technology integration. This combination creates a significant premium over comparable traditional sets, potentially challenging adoption rates among cost-conscious parents.
Licensing partnerships played a crucial role in the launch strategy. The company collaborated with Lucasfilm and Disney to determine the optimal approach for introducing Smart Play to the market.
Derek Stothard, Disney's Director of Global Licensing, explained that the team selected the original trilogy as the starting point because these scenes and characters are universally recognized. The cross-generational appeal allows parents to share these builds with their children, creating a shared experience that transcends age barriers.
Lego appears to be using Star Wars as a test case for Smart Play's market viability. The franchise's broad appeal may help offset the higher price point while the company gathers data on consumer acceptance. Future expansion to non-licensed sets could potentially reduce costs and broaden accessibility.
Future Expansion and Market Considerations
The LEGO Group has been deliberately reserved about specific plans beyond the initial Star Wars offerings. However, the company's eight-year investment in Smart Play development suggests a long-term commitment to expanding the technology across multiple product lines.
Donaldson indicated that the company will follow consumer demand and market response when determining Smart Play's future trajectory. The ultimate decision on expansion will depend on how the technology performs in the marketplace and whether it resonates with children and parents.
The current pricing structure raises questions about market adoption. The premium cost associated with Smart Play technology, particularly in licensed sets, may limit initial uptake. Industry observers note that non-licensed sets or add-on kits could provide more affordable entry points for families interested in the technology.
The concept of transforming existing builds into interactive experiences represents significant potential. If Lego can successfully broaden Smart Play's appeal beyond Star Wars fans and find ways to make the technology more accessible, it could fundamentally change how children interact with their creations. The company's focus remains on delivering what children want and love, using market response as the ultimate guide for Smart Play's future.
"We wanted to build a really powerful platform. What we shouldn't do is say, 'this is what we think we're gonna need.' We needed to say, 'let's create something that has a lot of capabilities that we can then figure out how to use.'"
— Tom Donaldson, Senior VP and Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group
"Very early on, we all decided that starting with the original trilogy would be great. These are such well-known scenes and characters, and they cross generations, so parents can introduce them to their kids. All that works really well together."
— Derek Stothard, Disney's Director of Global Licensing
"We're announcing a platform that you can see has tremendous growth [potential]. We made the analogy with the minifigure as something that you'll see across the entire [Lego] system, maybe not in every single SKU but it'll reappear in many different places. But ultimately we're a company that really focuses on giving kids what they want, what they love, and we'll have to see how it lives in a market."
— Tom Donaldson, Senior VP and Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group