LEGO Introduces Its Most Significant Innovation in Nearly 50 Years, 'SMART Play'
Announced today at CES 2026, LEGO’s brand new “SMART Bricks” launch with three new Star Wars sets in March.
Summary:
- LEGO is launching a new smart bricks system that its describes as its “most significant” new product since 1978.
- The new “SMART Play” system is fully compatible with LEGO’s existing ecosystem.
- Pre-orders start Jan 9 and global release is March 1, with three new Star Wars sets kicking off the series.
The LEGO Group is taking a massive leap into the future of physical play, unveiling its new LEGO “SMART Play” platform in Las Vegas today at CES 2026. Described as the most significant evolution of its System-in-Play since the debut of the Minifigure in 1978, the tech-heavy initiative aims to bring brick-built creations to life without the need for a screen.
At the heart of LEGO’s new system is its brand new “SMART Brick,” which the brand says is “powered by a custom-made chip” and is slightly smaller than one of its standard studs.
The new super-brick is packed with over 20 patented world-firsts, including sensors, accelerometers, a sound sensor, and an onboard synthesizer driving a miniature speaker. Combined with SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures, the system responds in real-time to how you actually play with specific sounds and behaviors triggered based on movement and interaction. The new bricks are easily charged using an all-new wireless charger LEGO is launching alongside the system.
And perhaps best of all – at least for anyone with an existing LEGO collection – the new SMART Bricks are fully compatible with the existing LEGO catalog.
For the new system’s debut, LEGO is heading to a galaxy far, far away. The Danish brand has tapped one of its long-time partners, Star Wars, for the first wave of SMART Play-enabled sets, with three set to launch by March this year. The initial “LEGO Star Wars SMART Play” drop will include “Luke’s Red Five X-Wing” (584-piece), “Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter” (473-piece) and the “Throne Room Duel & A-Wing” (962-piece) building sets. Each set comes with a LEGO SMART Brick charger and, according to the brand, will feature “at least one LEGO SMART Minifigure and LEGO SMART tag.”
All three sets drop on March 1, with pre-orders starting January 9. In terms of pricing, “Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter (75421)” will cost £139.99 GBP / $69.99 USD, “Luke’s Red Five X-wing (75423)” is £79.99 GBP / $99.99 USD, and the “Throne Room Duel & A-wing (75427)” is £139.99 GBP / $159.99 USD.
