Nex Playground, the motion gaming console for young kids and their families, is getting ready to take a leap beyond the home: Nex Playground owners will be able to compete against friends and family members over the internet later this year.
However, the company is approaching these so-called play dates very differently from the way online multiplayer games usually work. Instead of letting kids just connect with random players online, they’ll have to ask their parents to make the initial connection.
“The parents, the account owners, will need to add each other’s device with mutual intent,” explains Nex CEO David Lee. “I need to input your code, you need to input my code, we need to have a conversation about it in real time.”
This is meant to make sure that Nex’s young players – the device is catering to kids age 3 to 11 – won’t be able to connect with random strangers online. It’s in line with how Nex has been approaching trust and safety throughout its product, says Lee. “Trust is extremely important. It’s a device with a camera. We take that very seriously.”
Nex is running all of its computer vision algorithms locally on device, and never uploads any video footage to the cloud. The company also uses an all-inclusive subscription model for access to its games, and never uses in-game advertising. “With our business model, our customer is not the product,” Lee says.
That approach seems to be working for the company: Nex revealed during GDC this week that it is on track to surpass a million device sales this month.
Nex began selling its motion gaming console in 2023 after previously developing motion games for mobile devices. The company also had a partnership with UK TV provider Sky to bring motion games to Sky’s short-lived connected TV camera, and has been powering some motion games on Telly’s free TV.
The idea behind motion gaming is not new: Microsoft pioneered TV-based motion games with the Xbox Kinect accessory, which got discontinued in 2018. Nex has found more success with the idea by squarely focusing on active play for young kids and their caregivers. “It's a family entertainment market that's structurally underserved,” Lee says.
Now, the company wants to expand its business into new geographic markets. Nex plans to bring its game console to the UK later this year and is eyeing an expansion to Japan in 2027.
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