I tried Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets at CES and the tech fades into the background when play begins

Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:18:00 +0000

Description:
Lego's Smart Play system is the biggest change to the Lego brick in years,
and at CES I went hands-on with the new Star Wars sets arriving in March.

FULL STORY

Its been a busy few days here in Las Vegas at CES 2026 , but Ive managed to find the time to spend about an hour trying out Legos biggest change to its iconic brick since 1958.

That change takes a very familiar form. At first glance, its a classic 2 x 4 brick complete with the familiar studs topped with a clear, transparent cap and housed in a black shell. But under the hood, its packed with technology.

Inside is a custom ASIC chip, alongside a motion sensor, gyroscope, speaker, and LEDs. This Smart Brick serves as the central brain of the new Lego Smart Play system, triggering lights and sounds in response to nearby Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags.

You might notice what I havent mentioned: theres no app. And thats a key part of this shift. Unlike previous Lego rollouts that leaned heavily on screens, Smart Play is designed as an additive experience. It stacks on top of the traditional Lego build-and-play formula, and if youre not interested in it, participation isnt required. After going hands-on with Smart Play, though, I expect most builders will want to explore what it can do.

Smart Play has sparked some debate since its reveal, but after spending time with the new Star Wars Smart Play sets that are launching March 1, 2026
along with smaller demo builds designed to show the systems range Im
confident Lego has a hit on its hands, or at the very least a strong
foundation for one.

It's all about play

Lego Smart Play makes one thing clear very quickly: this is for kids, or for anyone who actually plays with their Lego. You can absolutely build the
X-Wing, TIE Fighter, or Emperors Throne and display them, but Smart Play isnt optimizing for shelf presence its designed to be picked up, moved around,
and actively used.

That intent is especially clear with the X-Wing and TIE Fighter, which feel purpose-built for dogfights. Nothing I handled felt fragile or precious, and the way the Smart Bricks are integrated reinforces that these sets are meant for real play. Legos designers clearly factored in the reality of kids flying ships around and smashing imaginary lasers together.

During my hands-on time, I didnt encounter any misfires. The Smart Brick consistently detected nearby Minifigures and Smart Tags, and everything
worked as expected as long as the main brick was charged. There were no
moments where I felt like I had to 'teach' the system what I was doing it simply responded, with lights or sounds.

One of the smartest design choices is how physical Lego play directly enables the tech experience. On the TIE Fighter, for example, a blaster sound is triggered by blocking and unblocking a sensor next to the Smart Brick using
an actual Lego element essentially pushing in a trigger. Theres no button or hidden switch; its a classic, tactile interaction.

I didnt build the Star Wars sets from scratch during the demo, but I spent plenty of time playing with them including the X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and Throne. I pulled a Smart Brick off its wireless charger, placed R2-D2 with a Smart Tag on his back in front of it, and immediately heard his familiar
droid tones.

From there, I put R2-D2 in the back of the X-Wing, Luke in the cockpit, and positioned a Smart Brick in the middle of the build and thats when the tech stopped being the point.

Without really thinking about it, I started flying the X-Wing through the
air. Engine sounds rose and fell as I moved it, and when I flipped the ship upside down, R2-D2 let out a startled scream. There was no setup or
instruction just cause and effect. It felt instinctive, the kind of play
that invites you to fill in the story yourself.

Imagination over instruction

Right now, Lego isnt opening up the underlying tech behind the Smart Bricks, Smart Minifigures, or Smart Tags. What was shown behind the scenes during the demos hints at a broader system, but the experience at launch is
intentionally loose.

Theres no predefined story or scripted sequence. Sounds, lights, and
reactions are driven by proximity, motion, and placement. In demos, Lego also showed how Smart Bricks can detect color using an ambient light sensor and mirror it with onboard LEDs even passing those colors to nearby Smart Bricks via Smart Tags all in real time, with no setup required.

The Smart Bricks can also react to where a Smart Minifigure is in space, whether its nearby, above, below, or even across the room, underscoring that while the play feels simple, this system is clearly built on a serious technical foundation.

Put Darth Vader in an X-Wing, and you might trigger something unexpected.
Leave R2-D2 on the ground while lifting the X-Wing with Luke inside, and you could hear a panicked droid scream from below.

The system handles sounds and lights quietly in the background, leaving you free to tell new stories with familiar characters. @techradar

Battery life, charging, and pricing

Battery life is inevitably part of the Smart Play conversation. Lego says
each Smart Brick can deliver around 40 minutes of continuous play, which may sound modest on paper. In practice, the system isnt designed for constant activation its built around bursts of play, pauses, and rebuilds.

Charging is refreshingly simple. The Smart Bricks charge wirelessly via a bright yellow rectangular charging pad with a USB-C port, which is included
in the box. Theres a subtle divot through the center, and you can place the Smart Bricks on it in any orientation no lining things up or fiddling with contacts.

Lego also told me it isnt concerned about Smart Bricks remaining dormant for extended periods. When not in use, they enter a low-power sleep state, and waking them is as simple as a shake.

The new Lego Smart Play sets start at $69.99 / 59.99 / AU$99.99. That isnt cheap, but its broadly in line with Legos pricing especially for licensed
Star Wars sets, now with electronics baked in. The added interactivity feels meaningful rather than gimmicky, particularly for kids who will actively play with these sets.

Lets actually break down the three sets, which go up for preorder on January
9, 2026 : Lego Star Wars SMART Play: Darth Vaders TIE Fighter: This set contains 473 pieces to build the TIE Fighter, an outpost, and a fueling station. It includes one Smart Brick, a Darth Vader Smart Minifigure, a TIE Fighter Smart Tag, and a standard Rebel Pilot Minifigure. Its priced at
$69.99 / 59.99 / AU$99.99. LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Lukes Red Five X-Wing: Contains 584 pieces to build the X-Wing, a command center, a transporter, and an Imperial turret. Includes one Smart Brick, two Smart Minifigures (Luke Skywalker and General Leia Organa), five Smart Tags, R2-D2, and standard Minifigures. Its priced at $99.99 / 79.99 / AU$149.99. LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-Wing: The largest set at 962 pieces, featuring the Death Star throne room with a swiveling chair and an A-Wing fighter. Includes three Smart Minifigures (Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Luke Skywalker), two Smart Bricks, and five Smart Tags.

What stood out most during my time with Smart Play is how little the system demands from you. Within minutes, the technology fades into the background
and play takes over which is where Lego has always shined, especially for kids.

My first impressions are that Smart Play feels genuinely promising. Its fun, intuitive, and intentionally additive. It doesnt try to redefine Lego or push technology to the foreground; it quietly gives the imagination more to work with.

This also feels very much like a foundation. Star Wars is an obvious subject for the launch of Smart Play, but its easy to imagine how this system could grow whether thats more Star Wars sets or Legos own worlds like City, Speed Champions, Construction, or Space.

For now, Smart Play does exactly what a first look should: it makes me want
to spend more time with it and see where Lego takes this next. Its also something you really need to experience firsthand.

It wont be for everyone, but then again, its designed for play and thats arguably Legos roots. I love a display piece, too, but I can easily see
myself grabbing these sets and using the Smart Bricks and Tags with other builds.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES , and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen.

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Link to news story, including IMAGES: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/entertainment/i-tried-lego-star-wars-smart -play-sets-at-ces-and-the-tech-fades-into-the-background-when-play-begins

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