The Consumer Electronics Show took over Las Vegas this week, which means a flood of flashy – and usually expensive – tech show announcements from the likes of Nvidia, Sony, Anker and more. One brand I didn’t have on my bingo card is one I’ve definitely heard of: Lego. The Danish company announced Lego Smart Play, which includes its first Smart Brick, a piece with a tiny chip, smaller than a Lego stud, that allows the brick (and its built-in micro-speaker, accelerometer and LED array) to react as you play with it.
Thanks to all that injected technology, you can tell when it’s being moved, which way it’s facing, even how close it is to other Smart Bricks you build. The speaker and LEDs then play sounds and light up based on how you’re actually using the set — much more than your standard canned sound effects. The Smart Brick is just one piece of the Smart Play system. It also includes Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags – the latter is basically a tiled piece – that you can recognize and respond too.
Lego
A pleasant surprise is the price of some of these sets. The current unintelligent Lego of 625 pieces Star Wars TIE Bomber Model Building Kit has an MSRP of $65 (although it’s on sale right now for $52), while this 473-piece Smart Play version is just $5 more.
You will be able to order the Smart Play on Friday, January 9th.
$70 in Lego
It’s 2026, so surely they must need an app for any of this to work, right? No. Lego has built a wireless system called BrickNet that allows the Smart Bricks to communicate directly with each other using Bluetooth-based technology. There’s no app to download, no Wi-Fi to set up and no phone needed — you just open the box and start building, the way Lego has always worked. And to power these bricks, all you need to do is charge them on an included wireless charging pad.
Remember when you had to make those gunshot sound effects while you played with your Lego back in the day? Now, these Smart Play sets will do that for you…and then some. (Lego) (Lego)
The first of the Smart Play offerings are three all in one Star Wars sets, not the 10,000 piece varieties aimed at adults, but smaller sets that kids can enjoy. And while they are definitely pricier than standard sets, not smart, the price jump is thankfully not insane. Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter costs $70, Luke’s Red Five X-Wing Set comes in at $90, and the largest Throne Room Duel & A-Wing combo hits a steep $160.
Pre-orders for all three sets open this Friday, January 9, while the full Smart Play launch is scheduled for March 1.
Lego
This 584-piece set includes two Smart Minifigures (Luke and Leia, of course), as well as one Smart Brick and five Smart Tags.
$90 at Lego
Lego
This is the largest (and most expensive) of the three sets that are available for pre-order this week. In 962 pieces, it plays iconic Return of the Jedi sound effects, including Lightsaber hums and the included A-wing engine. He will even play “The Imperial March” while Emperor Palpatine is sitting on his throne.
$160 in Lego