Lego Smart Play Wins Big at CES 2026, Taking Home the Top Spot as Best Toy of the Show
In a move that caught many by surprise, Lego took home the top prize in the Best Toy category at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with its innovative Lego Smart Play system. Comprising of Smart Bricks, Tags, and Minifigures, the system is packed with modern technology, allowing it to respond to how users play with them or build with sets.
The Smart Brick features a tiny ASIC chip that senses motion, orientation, and magnetic fields, while also producing audio "tied to live play actions," not just canned clips. This innovative tech enables kids (and adults!) to create complex and interactive scenarios with their Lego creations, blurring the lines between imagination and technology.
One of the standout features of Lego Smart Play is its lack of smartphone pairing and screens. Instead, each part can detect and interact with others, leading to some truly creative and unexpected setups. For example, users can build a helicopter or an X-Wing alongside their friend's duck and police officer, creating an immersive play experience that combines physical imagination with digital intelligence.
While the system is pricier than traditional Lego sets, it makes for a special gift or birthday present. The first set available, featuring a smart Darth Vader Minifigure, one Smart Brick, and one Smart Tag, costs $70.
Lego's persistence in staying true to its core values of creativity and imagination has paid off once again, as the brand takes home the top spot at CES 2026. As Engadget editor-in-chief Aaron Souppouris noted, "Lego could almost be seen as the antithesis of the typical CES product." We can't agree more.
Other notable winners at this year's CES include NVIDIA's Vera Rubin supercomputer, Samsung's HW-QS90H home theater system, Shokz OpenFit Pro audio earbuds, and Dell XPS 14 + 16 laptops.
In a move that caught many by surprise, Lego took home the top prize in the Best Toy category at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with its innovative Lego Smart Play system. Comprising of Smart Bricks, Tags, and Minifigures, the system is packed with modern technology, allowing it to respond to how users play with them or build with sets.
The Smart Brick features a tiny ASIC chip that senses motion, orientation, and magnetic fields, while also producing audio "tied to live play actions," not just canned clips. This innovative tech enables kids (and adults!) to create complex and interactive scenarios with their Lego creations, blurring the lines between imagination and technology.
One of the standout features of Lego Smart Play is its lack of smartphone pairing and screens. Instead, each part can detect and interact with others, leading to some truly creative and unexpected setups. For example, users can build a helicopter or an X-Wing alongside their friend's duck and police officer, creating an immersive play experience that combines physical imagination with digital intelligence.
While the system is pricier than traditional Lego sets, it makes for a special gift or birthday present. The first set available, featuring a smart Darth Vader Minifigure, one Smart Brick, and one Smart Tag, costs $70.
Lego's persistence in staying true to its core values of creativity and imagination has paid off once again, as the brand takes home the top spot at CES 2026. As Engadget editor-in-chief Aaron Souppouris noted, "Lego could almost be seen as the antithesis of the typical CES product." We can't agree more.
Other notable winners at this year's CES include NVIDIA's Vera Rubin supercomputer, Samsung's HW-QS90H home theater system, Shokz OpenFit Pro audio earbuds, and Dell XPS 14 + 16 laptops.
its like they took a page from my childhood and made it into a real thing what really got me is how they can have you build this crazy combo of things with no screens in sight? like, my kid would freak out if he knew he could make something like that! $70 tho for the starter set might be a bit steep 
but if its as awesome as everyone says ill prob splurge
. plus, $70 for a smart brick and tag? thats still way too expensive for a normal lego set, especially if it's just one of each 
I'm not surprised Lego took the top spot! Those Smart Bricks are insane 
with that ASIC chip detecting motion and magnetic fields. It's like having a tiny robot in your hand 
! And can you believe there's no smartphone pairing needed? That's so genius 
. I mean, building a helicopter with a duck and police officer? 
that's just too cool! $70 might be pricey for the starter set, but trust me, it's worth it! 
]
A GIF of a kid building a robot with Lego Smart Bricks, while their friend plays a video game on their tablet ]
but I gotta say, is it really worth $70 for a smart Darth Vader Minifigure? 
, and we rode this giant wooden rollercoaster together, but it was made entirely out of LEGO bricks! The twists and turns were so realistic, I felt like I was actually flying through space. And when we finally got off the ride, we were both covered in sugar from the cotton candy machines that looked like they were made out of Smart Bricks 
. Has anyone else ever had a dream that crazy?
that can change the game.
. and yeah, $70 might seem steep for a Lego set, but think about all the hours of fun you could get with this thing - it's worth every penny 
. it's like they're taking a page out of our own childhood playbooks 
and bringing it into the 21st century. I mean, who doesn't love building something with your friends only to have it come to life in a whole new way? 
? $70 for the first set tho, that's a bit steep even for me 
but I guess it's worth it if it brings joy to kids (and adults!) like me 
! The prices are gonna be through the roof now...
. Plus, the price isn't too bad considering you get a special Darth Vader minifigure with it 
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. The fact that it doesn't need smartphones or screens is genius – kids (and let's be real, adults too) can just build and imagine without any distractions 
plus they make audio tied to live play actions 
no screens needed! each part detects & interacts with others, creating this crazy interactive experience 
). Lego just proves u can still innovate without losin ur brand identity 
.