LEGO SMART Play is making its debut on March 1, 2026, in three new tech-infused LEGO Star Wars sets, including a new TIE Advanced, X-wing and Death Star II battle.
LEGO Star Wars has the honour of launching LEGO SMART Play, a new tech system designed to add screen-free digital play to LEGO sets. The three inaugural sets are:
- 75421 Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, coming with 473 pieces and 1 SMART Minifigure for £59.99 / $69.99 / €69.99
- 75423 Luke’s Red Five X-wing, coming with 584 pieces and 2 SMART Minifigures for £79.99 / $99.99 / €89.99
- 75427 Throne Room Duel & A-wing, coming with 962 pieces and 3 SMART Minifigures for £139.99 / $159.99 / €159.99
The full roster of SMART Play technology will be included in all three sets, so whichever you buy, you will be able to have the complete SMART Play experience. The elements of SMART Play are the SMART Brick, SMART Minifigure and SMART Tag, as well as a charger for the brick, which is fully wireless. All sets include at least one of each of these four components.
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Together, these elements will allow lightsabers to make their iconic swishing sounds, starfighters to sound like they’re firing their lasers, plus some more non-canon fun, like playing the Imperial March for Emperor Palpatine on the Death Star.
Here’s an in-depth look at all three SMART Play sets. They’re up for preorder from January 9 and will be released on March 1, 2026.
75421 Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter
Vader’s TIE Advanced isn’t something that’s all-too common in the LEGO Star Wars catalogue, so a new version is always appreciated. Though the 8+ age rating and SMART Brick compatibility does mean that the set sacrifices accuracy in the name of play. You will place the SMART Brick in the fuselage of the TIE Advanced, allowing the model to make iconic TIE screeches as you fly it around your living room.
The set then has two side builds — a Rebel outpost (with Rebel minifigure) and a refuelling station for the TIE. Though the side builds will have to be played with the old-fashioned way; the only SMART Tag in the set is on the ship. Vader is similarly the only SMART minifigure, so while he’ll be able to produce sound effects, the Rebel minifigure will remain silent.
75423 Luke’s Red Five X-wing
Another LEGO Star Wars wave, another Red Five X-wing. But 75423 Luke’s Red Five X-Wing at least has a new claim to fame with the SMART Play tech. That being said, the set’s 6+ age rating has the X-wing looking more like a 4+ model than previous play scale X-wings, with chibi proportions and extremely stubby wings. The three side builds — Imperial turret, Rebel outpost and Rebel grounds crew vehicle — at least look respectable for what they are.
This set includes two SMART Minifigures, Luke and Leia, plus a regular Stormtrooper, Rebel Grounds Crew Worker and R2-D2. It is worth noting here, since Luke and Leia lack the cape of Darth Vader, that the SMART Minifigures have back printing designating them as such. It’s an easy way to denote this, but a frustrating addition for those who want their figures looking as sleek and accurate as possible.
Five SMART Tags are included here as well, so the side builds can get in on the technological action, in contrast to 75421 Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter. But there is still only one SMART Brick, so the builds will have to take turns being smart.
75427 Throne Room Duel & A-wing
75427 Throne Room Duel & A-wing is a refreshing amalgamation of vaguely related builds coming together for an all-in-one package. The Death Star II throne room is the main attraction, featuring Palpatine’s throne, the iconic steps, as well as space for Luke and Vader to duel. The duelling space interestingly harkens back to the likes of 7257 Ultimate Lightsaber Duel from 2005 with its moveable platforms to swing the minifigures back and forth. The A-wing is in similar style to the X-wing, but its more compact nature looks to work a bit better in this style. There’s also a turbolaser to try and blast it out of the sky.
There are six minifigures here and there’s an even split for SMART Play. Luke, Vader and Palpatine are all SMART minifigures while the two Royal Guards and the A-wing Pilot are standard figures.
Five SMART Tags are present, plus two SMART Bricks. This lets you power up both sides of the battle at the same time, whether it be the A-wing vs turbolaser or Luke vs Vader. For a set so focused on the battles, it seems to make sense to have two SMART Bricks here. Besides interacting with their own builds, the bricks can sense other tags, so the turbolaser will know when it hits the A-wing and vice versa.
All three of these sets are available to preorder on LEGO.com from January 9 and will release on March 1, 2026. If you’re interested in purchasing any of them to see what LEGO SMART Play is all about, consider doing so via our affiliate links to help support the work we do here at Blocks, online and in print. And if you’d prefer to wait for the Blocks review, all three sets will get an in-hand, in-depth look in an upcoming issue to help you decide if they’re worth adding to your collection.
To learn more about the tech behind the SMART Brick, you can click here. And to see more about the official announcement, head here.
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