Nex Playground Review: Is the Viral Controller-Free Games Console Worth It?

Remember when the Nintendo Wii had everyone jumping around their living rooms, waving their arms and occasionally knocking things off the furniture?

Well, that kind of gaming is making a comeback, and this time you don’t even need a controller.

The Nex Playground is a tiny gaming console that connects to your television and uses a camera to track your movements. Instead of pressing buttons, you jump, dance, duck and wave your arms to control the action on screen.

It has become an unexpected gaming success, attracting attention across social media and selling more than a million units.

But with a regular UK price of around £270, and an additional subscription required to unlock most of its games, is this actually a clever alternative to conventional gaming consoles?

Our Nex Playground review examines what you get, how it works, the hidden costs and whether this viral gadget deserves a place in your living room.

You can check the current Nex Playground price and availability on Amazon UK before deciding whether it is worth buying.

Affiliate disclosure: This article contains an Amazon affiliate link. GlitterBeam may receive a small commission if you make a qualifying purchase, at no additional cost to you.

What exactly is Nex Playground?

Nex Playground is a compact motion-controlled gaming console designed primarily for families.

It looks nothing like a PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch.

Instead, it is a small cube containing a wide-angle camera and a processor that interprets your body’s movements.

Connect it to your television using the supplied HDMI cable, position it where it can see the players, and you can start interacting with games without holding a conventional controller.

Although the console includes a small remote for navigating menus and setting things up, the games themselves use your movements.

The technology is designed to recognise actions such as jumping, waving, reaching and dodging.

In The Guardian’s hands-on examination of Nex Playground, the motion tracking proved responsive across activities including dancing and Fruit Ninja.

That is important because motion-controlled gaming only really works when the technology responds quickly enough to feel natural.

What games come with Nex Playground?

The console includes five games without requiring an additional subscription.

These are:

• Fruit Ninja: Slice flying fruit using your hands.
• Whac-a-Mole Deluxe: React quickly to characters appearing on screen.
• Party Fowl: A collection of multiplayer party challenges.
• Go Keeper: A football-inspired game involving saves and reactions.
• Starri: A rhythm game built around music and movement.

These five games remain available without an active Play Pass subscription.

However, they represent only a small part of the complete library.

The wider Nex Playground catalogue contains more than 60 games, including titles featuring familiar characters from Bluey, Peppa Pig, Barbie, Sesame Street and other entertainment franchises.

There are also fitness activities, dancing games and sports challenges.

Nex regularly expands the library, although access to the additional games comes with an extra cost.

How much does Nex Playground cost in the UK?

This is where things become more interesting.

The regular UK retail price is approximately £269.99.

However, the console has been discounted to around £215 during the October 2026 promotional period, making it considerably more attractive than at its normal price.

Because promotions can change quickly, it is sensible to check the latest Amazon UK price before purchasing.

But the initial purchase price is not necessarily the complete cost.

There is also something called Play Pass.

The Play Pass subscription is the biggest catch

Nex Playground comes with five games, but most of its library requires a paid subscription.

The subscription is called Play Pass.

At current UK prices, it costs:

• £45 for three months
• £90 for twelve months

The annual subscription works out at £7.50 per month.

That means a family buying the console at its regular £269.99 price and adding a year of Play Pass would spend approximately £360 during the first year.

Even at the promotional price of £215, adding an annual Play Pass brings the initial total to around £305.

The good news is that the subscription includes the full catalogue without additional in-game purchases or advertising.

Nex also allows one subscription to cover up to two consoles within the same household.

But there is a significant restriction: you cannot simply buy individual additional games permanently.

If you want access beyond the five included titles, Play Pass is the route.

That is probably the most important consideration for anybody wondering whether Nex Playground is worth buying.

Can the whole family play together?

Yes, and this is arguably where Nex Playground makes the most sense.

The system supports multiplayer activities with up to four people playing together, depending on the game.

That means parents, children, siblings and friends can join the same activity without needing to buy several controllers.

The games are designed around accessible movements rather than complicated button combinations.

Someone who has never played video games before can understand the basic concept of jumping to avoid something or moving their hands to interact with an object.

In Tom’s Guide’s extended family test of the Nex Playground, the console proved entertaining for younger players, although the reviewer noted that some games held their attention better than others.

For family gatherings, this type of accessibility could be its biggest advantage over a conventional console.

Does Nex Playground need lots of space?

Not necessarily, although you will need enough room to move safely.

Nex recommends approximately one to two metres of clear space in front of the television for most games.

That should be achievable in many British living rooms, but you will probably want to move the coffee table out of the way.

Four people jumping around together will naturally require more space than one person playing alone.

Independent reviews also suggest that positioning and lighting can affect how well motion tracking works.

This is not a console designed for somebody who wants to remain comfortably seated throughout every game.

Its main attraction is movement.

What about the camera? Is Nex Playground safe?

A camera permanently facing the living room will understandably raise questions for some parents.

Nex has made privacy one of the console’s major selling points.

According to the manufacturer’s published UK privacy and technical information, movement recognition is processed locally on the console rather than sending camera footage to cloud servers.

Some games can briefly use video for local replay features, but Nex says these recordings are not retained or uploaded.

There is also a magnetic camera cover that can physically block the lens when the device is not being used.

The system does not provide the open internet browsing, advertising or conventional in-game purchasing features found on many other platforms.

That makes it an interesting proposition for parents who want a more controlled gaming environment.

However, it is still an internet-connected device requiring Wi-Fi for initial setup, downloads and updates.

Is Nex Playground better than a Nintendo Switch?

Not necessarily. The two consoles are designed for rather different experiences.

A Nintendo Switch offers a much broader gaming ecosystem, with traditional adventures, racing games, platformers and other genres.

Nex Playground concentrates on accessible physical games that encourage people to get up and move.

For children who want to spend hours exploring complex games, the Switch will probably offer more variety.

For parents who want something that makes family gaming more active and social, Nex Playground has a stronger argument.

It also removes one familiar problem with motion-controlled gaming: there are no handheld motion controllers to lose or accidentally throw across the room.

What are the biggest disadvantages?

The first is obviously the price.

At nearly £270 normally, Nex Playground is not an inexpensive novelty.

The subscription makes it more expensive still.

Second, although the motion tracking has attracted positive assessments from independent reviewers, it is not perfect.

Quick movements, positioning and crowded spaces can occasionally cause problems.

Third, the games are generally simpler than those available on mainstream consoles.

That makes the system accessible, but it could also limit its appeal to older children who want more complicated gaming experiences.

Finally, the novelty factor should not be ignored.

Jumping around in front of the television can be hilarious during the first few sessions. The question is whether the family will still be using it regularly six months later.

Is Nex Playground worth buying in 2026?

Our assessment is that Nex Playground makes the most sense for families who specifically want active gaming.

The console offers something refreshingly different from conventional screen entertainment.

Instead of encouraging children to sit completely still, it asks them to move, react, dance and participate.

The fact that several family members can join in without learning complicated controls is another genuine advantage.

But the subscription cost prevents it from being an easy recommendation for everyone.

If your children are likely to enjoy only the five included games, spending more than £200 on the hardware may be difficult to justify.

If the family will regularly use the larger Play Pass library, the proposition becomes considerably stronger.

GlitterBeam verdict: Is Nex Playground worth it?

Best for: Families with younger children, group gaming sessions, active indoor entertainment and anyone nostalgic for the Nintendo Wii experience.

Less suitable for: Serious gamers, people wanting a large library without subscriptions, households with limited movement space and anyone expecting it to replace a traditional gaming console.

Our verdict is positive, but with one major qualification.

Nex Playground is an appealing family gaming system, provided you understand the ongoing cost of accessing most of its games.

It is easy to see why the device has become popular. It turns the television from something everyone sits watching into something the family can physically interact with.

And at its current promotional price, it becomes more interesting than it was at launch.

Before committing, we recommend checking the Nex Playground’s current Amazon UK price, included bundle and availability, particularly if a Play Pass subscription is being offered separately.

For families who want their next games console to involve a little less sitting and a lot more jumping around, the Nex Playground could be a surprisingly entertaining addition to the living room.

Editorial note: GlitterBeam has not physically tested Nex Playground. This assessment is based on official product specifications, independent hands-on reviews and published UK pricing information.