TL;DR
At CES 2026, a hands-on with Lego’s new Smart Brick found it to be more interactive and imaginative than past electronic Lego toys. The system uses NFC-enabled tiles as program triggers and allows bricks and smart minifigs to react and converse with nearby smart parts.
What happened
At CES 2026, a Verge senior editor tried The Lego Group’s new Smart Brick, a compact proprietary computer brick the company is touting as its biggest product innovation since 1978. Unlike earlier Lego electronic toys that mostly played canned sounds when triggered, the Smart Brick reads NFC smart tiles that act like small programs, changing what the brick represents and how it behaves. In demonstrations the bricks and smart minifigs reacted to one another: two minifigs with Smart Bricks produced lightsaber hums and clash sounds, one figure’s breathing effect played, and a throne tile triggered The Imperial March when Emperor Palpatine sat on it. In another setup, placing Vader beside Palpatine and the throne produced a loosely intelligible back-and-forth in character-like voices. The writer entered the demo skeptical—citing past fiddly and predictable electronic Lego toys—but left impressed by the system’s expressive interactions. The coverage headline emphasized that the experience did not appear to rely on AI.
Why it matters
- Shifts Lego’s electronic play from simple triggers toward programmable, context-aware interactions.
- NFC smart tiles acting as discrete programs could enable more varied behaviors without cloud processing.
- Interactive responses between bricks and figures may create deeper role-play opportunities for kids.
- The product raises questions about how far Lego will expand the platform across future sets and themes.
Key facts
- The Smart Brick is described as a small, proprietary computer brick introduced by The Lego Group.
- The Verge reviewer encountered the Smart Brick during CES 2026 testing.
- NFC-enabled smart tiles function as program-like triggers that tell a Smart Brick what it represents.
- Smart Bricks react and interact with other nearby smart components rather than only playing preset sounds.
- A demo showed two Smart Bricks on minifigs producing lightsaber hums and clash effects, plus Darth Vader breathing.
- Placing Emperor Palpatine on a Smart Brick throne played The Imperial March in the demo.
- Arranging Vader, Palpatine, and the throne produced a back-and-forth exchange in a character-like, unintelligible language.
- The writer compared the Smart Brick to earlier Lego electronic toys (such as Lego Mario), calling those older toys predictable and fiddly.
- The hands-on coverage framed the Smart Brick as not using AI while still delivering surprisingly rich interactions.
What to watch next
- Whether Lego expands Smart Brick support across more themes and sets beyond the initial demos (not confirmed in the source).
- If The Lego Group opens tools or APIs for third-party or user-created smart tiles and behaviors (not confirmed in the source).
- Availability, pricing and global rollout details for the Smart Brick ecosystem (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Smart Brick: A compact, LEGO-integrated electronic unit that runs programs, senses nearby elements, and triggers sounds or behaviors.
- NFC (Near Field Communication): A short-range wireless technology used to exchange data between devices or tags placed very close together.
- Smart tile: A tile embedded with an identifier or chip that a smart device can read to change its behavior or role.
- Minifig: A small articulated Lego figurine commonly included in sets to represent characters.
- Proprietary: Owned and controlled by a company, often implying custom hardware, software, or formats not openly shared.
Reader FAQ
Is the Lego Smart Brick powered by AI?
The hands-on coverage was titled 'No AI' and presents the Smart Brick as not relying on AI.
How does the Smart Brick know what to do?
The Smart Brick reads NFC smart tiles that act like small programs, which change its behavior and interactions.
Does the Smart Brick replace traditional Lego imaginative play?
Reactions to the product were divided; some voiced concern about impacts on imagination, while others found it engaging.
When and where will it be available and how much will it cost?
not confirmed in the source
TECH REPORT CES I played with the Lego Smart Brick No AI — and smarter than I expected. by Sean Hollister Jan 7, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC 1 1 Comment…
Sources
- I played with the Lego Smart Brick
- How Lego designed its new interactive Smart Brick
- Lego Smart Bricks introduce a new way to build
- Lego's Smart Bricks aren't just an experiment
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