LEGO SMART Play is on the way, announced by the LEGO Group to be a seamless play experience that blends the physical and digital — all without the need for a screen.
The LEGO Group has unveiled LEGO SMART Play, a new platform that will blend physical and (screen-free) digital play together, with the first three SMART Play sets falling under the Star Wars umbrella, to be released on March 1, 2026.
LEGO SMART Play is centred around the SMART Brick — a new element that has the same area as a 2×4 brick but packs within it much more tech than your typical LEGO brick. The main component of the brick is a custom-made chip that’s smaller than a LEGO stud, but there are also sensors, accelerometers, light and sound sensors and a miniature speaker. On top of all that, it’s wirelessly chargeable.
The SMART Brick can then interact with SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures; the tech-infused elements react to each other in real time to add sound effects and more to the play experience. Across all the SMART Play tech, there are twenty patented world-firsts—the LEGO Group is holding nothing back with this new tech.
“For over 90 years, the LEGO Group has sparked imagination and creativity in children around the globe,” said Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at the LEGO Group, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. “As the world evolves, so do we — innovating to meet the play needs of each new generation. LEGO SMART Play is the next exciting chapter in our LEGO System in Play and something we are super excited about being able to bring to the world at this scale.”
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“The launch of LEGO SMART Play brings creativity, technology, and storytelling together to make building worlds and stories even more engaging, and all without a screen,” added Tom Donaldson, Senior Vice President & Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group. “We truly believe we are setting a new standard for interactive, imaginative experiences and can’t wait to see this innovation in the hands of kids when we launch this year.”
This new technology will first be available in three LEGO Star Wars sets launching on March 1, 2026: 75421 Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter; 75423 Luke’s Red Five X-wing; and 75427 Throne Room Duel & A-wing.
All three sets will include everything needed for the full SMART Play experience: a SMART Brick, a charger and at least one SMART Minifigure and SMART Tag.
75421 Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, the smallest set, will have just one SMART Minifigure — Darth Vader — and one SMART Tag. This jumps up to two SMART Minifigures and five SMART Tags in 75423 Luke’s Red Five X-wing, then 75427 Throne Room Duel & A-wing will have three SMART Minifigures and five SMART Tags.
The inclusion of SMART Play in these sets will allow for builders to hear the hums of lightsabers, the roar of starfighter engines and The Imperial March as Palpatine sits on his throne. Stay tuned for when Blocks has the sets in hand for review.
LEGO SMART Play will extend beyond the galaxy far, far away, but for now, its debut will be in LEGO Star Wars on March 1, 2026. To learn more about the intricacies of the SMART Brick, you can head here.
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