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In September — before the Black Friday and holiday shopping events kicked off — Sony announced it had sold 84.2 million PlayStation 5 units – more than every Xbox console ever released. Those are some big numbers, so it was reasonable to expect the PS5 would also be a huge player during the ever-busy holiday discount frenzy, especially with Sony shaving off $100. But a relatively unknown contender moved up the top console sales charts, and it’s one of those smart gadgets you’ve never heard of. For the week ending November 22, the best-selling or top spot belongs to the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle, unsurprisingly. However, in spot number two is a console called the Nex Playground. Using Circana Retail Tracking Service as the source, Circana’s Senior Director shared the top three consoles on Bluesky.
Nex Playground beat out the Sony PlayStation 5 Slim, which landed in third place. Nex Playground is an Android-powered game console that places an emphasis on movement-based play, similar to a VR headset, Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect, or Sony’s EyeToy. The biggest difference, of course, is that the Nex Playground is meant for much younger audiences and family play. Big titles include “Bluey: Bust-a-Move,” “Fruit Ninja,” “Mirrorama,” “Kung Fu Panda: Train Like a Master,” and “Barbie: Dance Party.” The swanky, multi-colored console rests on a shelf or entertainment stand below the TV with a built-in camera for tracking movements. At $250 — down to $200 for Black Friday — it’s considerably cheaper than other major game consoles.
Why the Nex Playground?
Lots of games with interactive play, family-oriented experiences, keeping kids active and healthy, and a relatively inexpensive buy-in are all positive benefits that even major consoles don’t offer. The Nex Playground is also kidSAFE+ and COPPA certified, which means the software and functionality, including games, meet strict safety and privacy standards for young audiences – specifically those under the age of 13. If you’re going to slap an active camera on a console and track movements, privacy is a huge concern. Hence, those standards are good to see. Beyond that, the Nex Playground doesn’t use controllers. Your body is essentially the controller, and it beats having to swap out or charge batteries all the time. You move, kick, chop, dance, and sway with the camera tracking your movements and translating them to in-game interactions.
The console comes with a five-game starter pack, and you can buy games individually from there or sign up for the Play Pass subscription, which gives you access to the full Nex Playground library, regular updates, new titles that launch, and so on. The Play Pass is $49 for three months or $89 for the full year. Sure, PlayStation and Xbox are already starting to tease their next-gen consoles, but if current prices are any indication, they’re going to be way more expensive than $250. Even if you factor in $89 for the yearly subscription, the Nex console is still significantly cheaper. Plus, you and your family will have more fun while being physically active.
