Lego - The LEGO® SMART PLAY™ system: a major innovation that redefines the play experience

By Mulder, Paris, Elysium, 06 january 2026

Hailed as one of the most significant advances in construction toys since the introduction of the minifigure in 1978, the LEGO® SMART Play™ system marks a strategic and technological turning point for THE LEGO GROUP. Our media team was present in Paris, at the Elysium, during this morning's press presentation, a highly anticipated moment where it was immediately apparent that the event was more than just a product announcement. In front of an audience of journalists and partners, Sylvain Bouchès, Marketing Director, and Rémi Marcelli, Senior Vice President and Ali Sana Director of Retail Marketing for Disney France  took the time to contextualize this innovation, recalling LEGO's fundamental DNA: stimulating the imagination through physical play, without ever giving in to the ease of screens. The live demonstration, which was particularly well executed, gave a concrete idea of what it means to bring a LEGO construction to life, not through an app or a smartphone, but through invisible technology integrated into the very heart of the brick.

At the center of the device is the LEGO SMART Brick, a true engineering feat developed by the Creative Play Lab teams. Smaller than a single LEGO stud, it incorporates a custom-made chip combining sensors, accelerometers, a light detector, a sound sensor, a mini speaker controlled by an internal synthesizer, and wireless charging. The whole thing works without a screen, without a mandatory app, and above all without breaking with LEGO's unique free-building logic. This brick becomes the brain of the construction: it recognizes interactions, triggers sounds and lights, and reacts to the movements and configurations imagined by the child. Added to this are LEGO SMART Tags and LEGO SMART Minifigures, which interact with the SMART Brick to transform each creation into a unique interactive experience, while remaining compatible with the entire existing LEGO system.

This ambition was confirmed a few days earlier at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, where Julia Goldin, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at the LEGO Group, and Tom Donaldson, Senior Vice President and Head of the Creative Play Lab, officially unveiled the concept to an international audience. The figures are staggering: more than twenty globally patented technological innovations are integrated into LEGO SMART Play™, making this system one of the most advanced physical play platforms ever designed. But beyond the technology, the discourse remained deeply focused on the imagination. Julia Goldin emphasized the continuity of the LEGO Group's mission, recalling more than 90 years of history dedicated to learning through play, and stressing that LEGO SMART Play™ is not a break with the past, but rather the natural next chapter in this philosophy.

The commercial launch of the system is set for March 1, 2026, with a gradual ramp-up thanks to future updates and new compatible universes. For its arrival, LEGO has made a strong strategic choice: to inaugurate LEGO SMART Play™ with the LEGO® Star Wars™ universe, the result of more than 25 years of collaboration with LUCASFILM LTD. This is an obvious nod to the mythical dimension of the saga, but also an immediate demonstration of the system's narrative potential. For the first time, iconic scenes can not only be rebuilt, but literally played out: the buzz of lightsabers, the roar of engines, and even the iconic “Imperial March” come to life directly from the construction, with no visible digital interface.

Three all-in-one LEGO® Star Wars™ SMART Play™ sets will accompany this launch. Luke's X-Wing Red Five offers a rich experience with 584 pieces, including SMART Minifigures of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, as well as several SMART Tags that trigger laser shots, engine sounds, and repair sequences. Darth Vader's TIE Fighter™, consisting of 473 pieces, features one of the saga's most iconic antagonists, with immersive sound effects reproducing the characteristic roar of its twin ion engines. Finally, the 962-piece Throne Room Duel and A-Wing™ Fighter set stands out for its narrative ambition, allowing you to recreate the final duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, with sound and light interactions synchronized to the minifigures' movements, while incorporating the A-Wing and its combat sequences.

These three sets will be available for pre-order from January 9, 2026, before officially going on sale on March 1, 2026, on LEGO.com, in LEGO stores and at partner retailers, with prices ranging from €69.99 to €159.99. Beyond the numbers and technical specifications, what strikes you after handling the system is the very concrete feeling of returning to a form of “augmented” but deeply physical play, where children—and adults—remain in control of their imagination. LEGO SMART Play™ does not dictate a story: it reveals it, supports it, and amplifies it. This is a rare approach at a time when so many innovations are trying to impose the screen as a necessary step, and it confirms that THE LEGO GROUP, faithful to the legacy started in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen in Billund, continues to innovate without ever betraying the essence of “playing well.”

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Photos and video: Boris Colletier / Mulderville