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The PureWow100 Score
TOTAL: 90/100
The PureWow100 is a scale our editors use to vet new products and services, so you know what's worth the spend—and what's total hype. Learn more about our process here.
It’s every family’s quagmire: Kids want to play video games, parents want them up and moving. So many devices claim to do just that…and then they slowly disappear (RIP, Kinect, Nintendo Wii and Wii U, just to name a few). Or their tracking is so laggy that you soon grow frustrated with attempting to play, and they gather dust until you finally haul it to your nearest Best Buy tech recycling center.
So, when I heard parents rave about Nex Playground while vetting toys for PureWow’s 2024 Happy Kid Awards, I was skeptical. But the buzz kept building about this Rubik’s Cube-sized device, which connects to your TV and uses a camera and AI technology to track you as you move, so you feel as if you’re in its games, playing them firsthand. Eventually, I gave in and decided to try it for myself—and I’m so glad I did. Out of the dozens of games I’ve vetted over the past year, it’s become one of my family’s favorites.
Right now, it's the lowest price I've ever seen it listed (down from $249 to $189), thanks to Amazon Prime Day 2025, which runs through July 11, and features savings across all categories, including Prime Day beauty deals and tech sales, just to name a few. You have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the deal (which, BTW, you can sign up for a 30-day trial to get in on the perks).
Whether you're looking for a boredom buster during the lazy days of summer, or you want to get a head start on your holiday shopping, the splurge is worth it. Need some convincing? Here's my full review, with original photos of the device in action.
Imagine a video game system where you didn’t need controllers. The device tracks you with its camera, so your movements are reflected on screen. (Oh, and the “character” you’re playing in these games? It’s typically streaming video of you, and whoever else is playing along with you.) To that end, the brand says the video footage isn’t stored anywhere, and the Nex Playground has been kidSAFE+ COPPA certified, which means it ensures any personal information collected from kids is kept private and secure. (The content itself is also vetted and moderated to ensure it’s age appropriate.)
As someone who dreads longwinded instruction manuals, I appreciated that the setup instructions were visual, simple and straightforward. (Use the included HDMI cable to connect to the TV, plug in the power cord and follow the prompts on screen.)
Immediately, a screen fires up, displaying the available games. Five come standard with the device: Fruit Ninja (a full-scale version of the popular fruit-slicing app), Whack-a-Mole, Party Fowl (a party game that players against each other to complete silly challenges), Go Keeper (a soccer-playing game) and Starri (a Dance Dance Revolution-esque game).
To access the full lineup of 20+ games, you’ll need a Play Pass, which costs $49 a quarter or $89 for the year. While somewhat annoying—does everything have a recurring subscription cost these days?—it still felt cheaper than paying $50+ per video game, like most other consoles require.
The Play Pass unlocks a whole world of new games, featuring a lot of familiar brands and characters, like Peppa Pig, Elmo, Candyland, Connect4 and Miraculous Ladybug. This is what got my daughter—and most kids who played it—most excited. For the under-five set, they could play Simon Says, hosted by Elmo! Or be a real-life Hungry Hungry Hippo! Or splash in muddy puddles with Peppa!
For older kids, the puzzles, strategy games and sports were more alluring. Basketball Knockout, for example, lets you go head-to-head to see who can dunk the most baskets the fastest. Neo-Witch requires you to tap into your inner sorcerer, as you wave your arms to conduct spells and defeat villains.
Before you start a game, a screen pops up that gives a brief synopsis of the game, as well as the intended age (preschool games are 3 and up; most others are 6 and up), how physically demanding it is, and the number of people who can play. Several games allow up to four people to play, though you’ll likely need to move your furniture to give everyone an arm’s length of space to play. Because, fair warning, once you get playing, you will get in the zone and lose all sense of the world outside of the game. So keep your breakables far away and be aware that your child may unwittingly karate chop you, if you’re standing too closely.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Nex Playground picked up our movements—and didn’t get us mixed up, even as my daughter, husband and I played side-by-side in an 8-foot by 10-foot space. However, it does get mixed up from time to time if someone sits behind you to watch you play and is directly in line with the camera. If my husband—or even our 1-year-old—sat behind me while playing, the device would sometimes pick them up as an additional player, or interpret their movements as mine. (So, if you want to spectate, it’s best to do so from the sidelines.)
With new games coming out routinely, I have high hopes that it will continue to engage kids. That said, if the releases slow down, I can see kids growing bored of cycling through the same 20ish (or five, if you don’t have a Play Pass) again and again.
It would definitely be a lifesaver on rainy days and snow days, when you can’t go outside but you desperately need your kids to burn off some energy. Also, thanks to its small size, you can easily unplug it and take it with you to a friend or relative’s house, then log in with your Play Pass to keep the fun going wherever you are.
This gaming system is definitely meant for kids, but there is one feature adults may appreciate: NexGym Fitness. It reminds me of a way cheaper alternative to Mirror, where you can choose from several quick workout routines, from weight training to HIIT, all under 21 minutes. (Some are as short as 3 minutes.) As it tracks you, you can correct your form, and it’s a fun, fast way to boost your cardio.
Now, did I look absurd doing these workouts? Yes. Did I feel a little silly doing them? Yes. And did they force someone whose greatest cardio achievement over the previous week was dashing upstairs to ensure her curling iron was off to, you know, actually break a sweat? Also, yes.
Yes, particularly for families who love to play games or entertain a lot. At $200 for the device and $89 for the annual Play Pass, Nex Playground is reasonably priced compared to other gaming systems out there. It’s easy to set up, and there’s a very minimal learning curve to each of the games, so people of all ages can get in on the fun.
It’s the kind of system that’s great to fire up around the holidays, where grandparents and little kids alike can have fun together. (And it’s small enough that if you’re traveling to a relative’s house—particularly one not known for having many toys—this can be a kid-friendly way to entertain the masses all weekend long.)
