Nex Playground passes one million sales amid screen fears

Nex Playground has passed one million sales as its maker pitches the motion-gaming console as a more active form of screen time for families.

The blue-and-yellow cube uses an AI-powered camera instead of hand controllers. Players move their arms and legs to play games, including slicing virtual fruit or copying dance steps.

David Lee, the California-based company's chief executive and co-founder, told AFP at Gamescom that “not all screen time is the same” and said the company wanted to create screen time families want.

Nex Playground launched in the United States in 2023. It sold 5,000 units in its first year and 150,000 after that, and briefly overtook Microsoft's Xbox in US sales in November 2025. Its price has risen from $250 before tax to $299 because of higher RAM prices.

The company launched the console in Britain and Ireland in June and signed partnerships including with the BBC to develop games based on cartoons such as Bluey and Peppa Pig. It is slated for release in Germany at the end of the year and potentially in France the next year.

Lee said localising development, meeting regional rules and working with local studios take time.

European countries have been encouraging families to reduce screen time. Germany is running a public information campaign urging families to switch off, while a French expert committee is due to publish a report by the end of the year on possible risks of video games for children. A 2024 report recommended strict limits for children under six.

A Nex spokeswoman said the console does not offer online chat, in-game purchases or adverts. Lee said Nex had introduced parental controls and would add screen time limits.