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Nex Playground CEO Details Low-Power, Subscription Play After Holiday Sales Surge

CEO David Lee says a PS3-level, camera-driven box paired with Play Pass is meant to avoid the Wii-era attach‑rate trap.

Overview

  • Nex Playground captured about 14% of US console sales during Black Friday week, finishing behind Switch 2 and ahead of Xbox Series X/S, according to multiple reports.
  • The $249 family console forgoes traditional controllers in favor of a motion‑tracking camera that can track up to four players and a simple remote for navigation.
  • Lee says the hardware intentionally targets roughly PS3‑class graphics to keep costs down, describing the device as a spiritual successor to Kinect rather than a rival to high‑end systems.
  • Nex’s Game Pass‑style Play Pass offers access to the full library on 3‑month or 12‑month plans, which the company credits for enabling about 20 new experiences and OS upgrades this year.
  • Coverage cites approximately 600,000 units sold in 2025 and notes current availability in North America, with plans to expand to additional countries in 2026.