LEGO® Star Wars™ SMART Play™ and LEGO SMART Brick available to pre-order

EDIT: This product will initially only be made available in the US, UK (not Republic of Ireland), France, Germany, Poland and Australia. 

With 3 LEGO® Star Wars™ sets that will use LEGO SMART Play™ technology now available to pre-order, and some more general information to hand about this new technology, we have updated this article on 9 January 2026.

On 5 January at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, USA the LEGO Group revealed their new innovation which will premiere in three March LEGO® Star Wars™ sets.

Our team member Zach Hill was inside the presentation hall, and recognised fan media (like ourselves) have since had a separate presentation which added a little more insight. Read on for details!

This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com. We may earn a fee.

Page contents

1. Product info
1. What is LEGO Smart Play? 
2. Which LEGO sets have SMART Play? 
1. Is LEGO Smart Play too basic?
2. Official fact sheet
3. Official press release

Product info

Here is the moment of reveal at CES. 

What is LEGO Smart Play? 

The interactive brick technology is contained within a special 2x4 brick (that is actually taller: 5 plates high rather than the usual 3), as well as in 2x2 tiles and minifigures which contain "tags" that instruct LEGO Smart Bricks how to behave. A duck tag close to a duck model tells the LEGO Smart Brick to go quack; but lay your duck model on its side and the brick emits a snoring noise. 

However, stuff like that is just the tip of the iceberg.

There are apparently some 20 or so new technologies involved, including a chip that is narrower than a LEGO stud, accelerometers, light/colour sensors and an 8-bit synthesiser producing sound in real time to save on memory. No exact list has been provided as yet, but we have reproduced the pretty fascinating official LEGO Smart Play fact sheet later in this article. 

As well as being able to detect the presence and orientation of nearby tiles and minifigures with chips, it can detect other LEGO Smart Bricks too, which will enable all kinds of interesting play including races. Contrary to some people's assumptions, it does not use AI to recognise objects.

Crucially, there are no screens involved. There is an app, but it is not required for play – it simply adds further functionality such as being able to set the volume level (are you reading this, parents??) and to check the exact battery charge percentage. The brick itself gives a general indication of charge: when placed on the charger provided, it indicates with a red/yellow/green light. The charger has space for two batteries.

The battery arrives ready for play with some charge left in it, which is quite a feat in itself given that the method of turning on the battery is to shake it. Charging takes about 2 hours, and will last 45 minutes of solid continuous full usage e.g. using lights, sound etc all at once. If that sounds short to you, consider that 45 minutes is a long time for most children of the target age group (which seems to be fairly youjng as one set is age-marked as 6+) to stay focused on one play activity. 

When developing the actions that operate the brick, the team put a lot of effort into following the gestures that children naturally make when playing. They don't want the children to have to learn and follow the actions established by the brick – they want the brick to understand natural reactions.

If you'd like to watch the whole presentation (well, missing a few seconds here and there!) the full video is available below, and the interesting demonstration starts at 5min 27.

More information about LEGO SMART Play™ on LEGO.com

Which LEGO sets have SMART Play? 

The tech will premiere in LEGO Star Wars sets in March (available to pre-order now), but will appear in many other LEGO themes later. The team would not reveal which themes or when, of course, but note that they did mention that anyone's LEGO® Ideas submissions involving the Smart Play system would be considered! 

Importantly, regular LEGO Star Wars sets will continue to be produced, with no LEGO Smart Play technology included.

In the clip below, Global Chief Product & Marketing Officer at the LEGO Group, Julia Goldin shows the LEGO Star Wars products that will launch LEGO Smart Play.

Is LEGO Smart Play too basic?

The functions offered by the LEGO Smart Play system in these initial LEGO Star Wars sets is admittedly somewhat basic compared to what the system is potentially capable of, but I think that's understandable. I can still remember my intense thrills in 1978 when purchasing the first ever LEGO minifigures in pocket-money sets: The LEGO Group, in their urgency to rush plenty of offerings out to market, paired the minifigures up with cars that were not yet designed to fit them! It didn't impact my love for this new play experience, at age 7. Greater things soon followed.

You may think that the LEGO minifigure and the LEGO Smart Play system aren't really comparable – after all, the minifigure is a keystone of the LEGO System! It wasn't always that way, though. When researching my book LEGO Space: 1978-1992 I learnt that it was generally assumed by LEGO employees in the 1980s that minifigures were a temporary thing – not necessarily a fad, but something that would eventually become unpopular or be replaced by another figure. Now, The LEGO Group are hoping the same kind of success for the LEGO Smart Play system: something that fits organically into the LEGO System, and provides a new realm of play opportunities.

Or, it may just go the way of so many of the company's past attempts. I doubt that would stop them from trying again though. Have they finally got it right this time? We'll reserve judgment until we get to have a smart play ourselves!

It is notable that the design of the sets is "juniorised" and clunky, compared to regular LEGO Star Wars models. There are several reasons for this:

• The models are primarily for play, not display
• Obvious and stable handholding points are needed given the additional swooshing that will go on
• Given the increased rough nature of play, small items and greebles that would fall off have not been included, as children tend to cease play to fix models in those situations
• Bold colour areas are included for clarity of placement of the LEGO Smart Brick 

These points, along with the lack of programmability, make the LEGO Smart Play system a much less attractive prospect for adult builders. Which is fine – it's a children's toy. That said, there's nothing to stop them putting some LEGO Smart Bricks with intriguing and thrilling functions inside adult sets. 

Let's now run through product details for the three ‘All-In-One' LEGO Star Wars sets, which will each come with a LEGO Smart Brick with charger and at least one LEGO Smart Minifigure and LEGO Smart tag. 

LEGO® Star Wars™ SMART Play™: 75423 Luke’s Red Five X-Wing™ 

• Availability: Pre-order from 9 January 2026, available from 1 March 2026 in USA, UK, France, Germany, Poland and Australia. Whether it will come to other countries is yet to be announced
• Price: 89,99 EUR / 99,99 USD / 79,99 GBP/ 149.99 AUD/ 389.99 PLN
• Ages: 6+
• Pieces: 584
• Dimensions: The set measures over 2 in. (6 cm) high, 8.5 in. (22 cm) long and 7.5 in. (19 cm) wide

Contains:

• 1x LEGO SMART Brick
• 2x LEGO SMART MINIFIGURES featuring Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia
• 5x SMART TAGS featuring the X-wing, Imperial turret, transporter, command center and R2-D2 accessories

A 584-piece set, including two LEGO Smart Minifigures (Luke Skywalker, in his iconic pilot suit, and Princess Leia), as well as Luke’s trusty companion, R2-D2, and Rebel Crew and Stormtrooper Minifigures. 

This set includes an Imperial turret, transporter and command center, all of which unlock interactive features, such as laser-shooting sounds, engine sounds and lights plus refueling and repair sounds, through the use of the included LEGO Smart Brick, two LEGO Smart Minifigures and five LEGO Smart Tags.

Pre-order on LEGO.com

 

LEGO® Star Wars™ SMART Play™: 75421 Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter™

• Availability: Pre-order 9 January 2026, available from 1 March 2026 in USA, UK, France, Germany, Poland and Australia. Whether it will come to other countries is yet to be announced
• Price: 69,99 EUR / 69,99 USD / 59,99 GBP/ 99.99 AUD / 299.99 PLN
• Age: 8+
• Pieces: 473
• Dimensions: The set measures over 4 in. (10 cm) high, 4 in. (11 cm) long and 5.5 in. (15 cm) wide

Contains:

• 1x LEGO SMART Brick
• 1x LEGO SMART MINIFIGURE featuring Darth Vader
• 1x SMART TAG featuring the TIE Fighter

One of the galaxy’s most iconic villains and his fighter ship arrives as part of LEGO Smart Play, allowing fans to replay and re-define the most epic battles on behalf of the Galactic Empire.

This 473-piece set features a brick-built Rebel Outpost and an Imperial Fueling Station, as well as a LEGO Smart Minifigure featuring Darth Vader and a Rebel Fleet Trooper Minifigure. The roar of the twin ion engines comes to life, among other interactive features, with the LEGO Smart Brick.

Rylie also spotted a couple of nice recolours of elements that have only appeared in one colour to date: Thor's hammer (75904) in what looks like regular green, and the blaster with studs on 5 sides (15071).

Pre-order on LEGO.com

 

LEGO® Star Wars™ SMART Play™: 75427 Throne Room Duel & A-Wing™ 

• Availability: Pre-order 9 January 2026, available from 1 March 2026 in USA, UK, France, Germany, Poland and Australia. Whether it will come to other countries is yet to be announced
• Price: 159,99 EUR / 159,99 USD / 139,99 GBP/ 249.99 AUD/ 699.99 PLN
• Age: 9+
• Pieces: 962
• Dimensions: The set measures over 5.5 in. (14 cm) high, 11.5 in. (29 cm) long and 19 in. (49 cm) wide

Contains:

• 2x LEGO SMART Bricks
• 3x LEGO SMART MINIFIGURES featuring Luke Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader 
• 5x SMART TAGS featuring an A-wing, throne, Death Star turret and Lightsaber™ duels (2x tags)

Fans will be able to re-enact and re-imagine one of the most memorable moments from the original Star Wars trilogy, the final lightsaber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader at the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi™. The 962-piece set comes with three LEGO Smart Minifigures featuring the characters Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine and Luke Skywalker (Jedi). 

Additionally, the set comes with a brick-built A-Wing Fighter and Pilot Minifigure, two Royal Guard Minifigures, and a LEGO Smart Tag-enabled cannon turret to defend the Emperor’s Throne Room. 

Pre-order on LEGO.com

 

Fact sheet

LEGO SMART Play is a new interactive platform where technology seamlessly brings LEGO sets to life, responding to actions with appropriate sounds and behaviours, allowing for a truly responsive play experience, all without screens.

The combination of LEGO SMART Play’s platform elements – the LEGO SMART Brick, LEGO SMART Tags and LEGO SMART Minifigures – react in real time to bring an interactive play experience to kids and are the most significant evolution in the LEGO System-in-Play since the introduction of the LEGO Minifigure in 1978.

Developed by the LEGO Group’s Creative Play Lab team, the new platform features more than 20 patented world-firsts within its technology, and the LEGO SMART Brick – the ‘play engine’ at the heart of the platform – is powered by a custom ASIC chip, allowing its electronics to be miniaturized to such a level, that they fit within the iconic footprint of a 2x4 LEGO brick, which allows kids to seamlessly add interactivity to their LEGO builds.

THE COMPONENTS OF LEGO SMART PLAY

LEGO SMART Play is a platform that integrates advanced invisible technology that encourages intuitive, imaginative play without screens or the need for detailed instructions.

The LEGO SMART Brick is packed with technologies that bring play to life including sensors, accelerometers, light sensing and a sound sensor as well as a miniature speaker driven by an onboard synthesiser, and much more, in addition to easy wireless charging.

LEGO SMART Tags and LEGO SMART Minifigures are paired with the LEGO SMART Brick to power the system and allow builders’ creations to become interactive, responding to actions with appropriate sounds and behaviours, allowing for a truly responsive play experience. All elements are compatible with the existing LEGO System-in-Play.

ABOUT THE LEGO SMART BRICK

The LEGO SMART Brick is at the heart of the LEGO SMART Play platform, turning LEGO builds into interactive experiences:

• The LEGO SMART Brick is the same area as a regular 2x4 brick, designed to fit with any existing elements in the LEGO System-in-Play.
• Contains a compact electronic system built around a custom mixed-signal ASIC chip. At 4.1 mm, the chip is smaller than a standard LEGO stud.
• ASIC chip runs a bespoke Play Engine which interprets motion, orientation, and magnetic fields in real time, bringing LEGO creations to life like never before.
• The chip is integrated with a precision copper coil assembly that enables the LEGO SMART Brick’s near-field magnetic positioning and tag recognition.
• A proprietary Neighbour Position Measurement (NPM) system uses precision copper coils to let LEGO SMART bricks sense distance, direction, and orientation between multiple LEGO SMART Bricks.
• Series of modular synthesisers produce real-time audio, minimising memory load.
• Miniature speaker is acoustically tuned through internal air spacing to amplify and clarify sound within the LEGO SMART Brick’s enclosure.
• Responsive audio effects are tied to live play actions; there are no pre-recorded clips.
• Accelerometer detects movement, tilt, and gesture, triggering context-specific reactions to how creations are being played with.
• LED array provides ambient light response and colour sensing for dynamic visual feedback.

LEGO SMART TAGS & LEGO SMART MINIFIGURES – BUILT TO SENSE

LEGO SMART Tags and LEGO SMART Minifigures trigger sounds, lights, or behaviours tied to placement or interaction.

• Each 2x2 studless tile LEGO SMART Tag carries a unique digital ID read by the LEGO SMART Brick through near-field magnetic communication.
• Works like contactless tech, engineered for toy-grade safety and precision.
• LEGO SMART Minifigures look identical to standard minifigures but include an internal chip carrying a unique digital ID detected through the same magnetic process.

BRICKNET – BUILT TO CONNECT

The secure wireless layer that lets multiple LEGO SMART Bricks act together:

• Bluetooth-based BrickNet protocol shares data between LEGO SMART Bricks with low latency.
• Uses Neighbour Position Measurement (NPM) data to recognise each LEGO SMART Brick’s position and orientation, offering Brick-to-Brick positioning.
• MPS fosters rich, spatially aware play; the distributed network of interacting LEGO SMART Bricks can talk to each other directly - no app, central hub, or external controller required.
• Enhanced encryption and privacy controls, meeting the high safety standards of the LEGO Group.

LEGO SMART PLAY – BUILT TO LAST

• The LEGO SMART Play system is engineered for power efficiency, resilience, and ease of maintenance.
• Battery designed to support real play patterns; will still perform after years of inactivity.
• Custom coils and power system allow for one-to-many wireless charging; charges several LEGO SMART Bricks simultaneously on a shared pad.
• Firmware updates and diagnostics are handled via the LEGO SMART Assist app.

TECHNOLOGY WORLD FIRSTS

The new platform has been developed by the LEGO Group’s Creative Play Lab team, in collaboration with Cambridge Consultants, the deep-tech powerhouse of Capgemini, and manufactured by JABIL. The platform features more than 20 patented world-firsts. At its heart is the LEGO SMART Brick, powered by a custom ASIC chip.

The patents unlock a roomful of technology, shrunk into the iconic LEGO brick. Without any setup, SMART Bricks are magically ‘aware’ of each other’s positions and orientations in 3D space, thanks to a novel, high-accuracy, magnetic positioning system. They can also communicate via a self-organising network that adapts to play. Advanced onboard systems let SMART Bricks comprehend and interact with each other, as well as the fans building with them.

This is an achievement in extreme miniaturisation and hyper-integration of different technologies – with stacks of innovation and many new-to-the-world inventions all squashed down to fun-size.

Official press release

The LEGO SMART Play™ All-in-One sets from LEGO Star Wars will be available for pre-order from January 9th and available to purchase from the 1st March from www.LEGO.com, LEGO Stores and select retailers in launch markets. 

Introducing LEGO® SMART Play™: 
Bringing your creations to life

The LEGO Group introduces LEGO® SMART Play™, a new play innovation that brings LEGO creations to life like never before.

The platform is powered by the LEGO SMART Brick, which is packed with ground-breaking, world-first technologies that means LEGO builds can respond to how they are played with for the first time.

LEGO SMART Play™ brings LEGO creations to life through seamless advanced technology enabling open-ended physical play, all without screens – and its platform elements are compatible with the existing LEGO System-in-Play.

LEGO SMART Play™ launches on March 1st, 2026, and will continue to expand and grow with new updates, launches and technology for the platform to come.

The first LEGO SMART Play™-enabled sets will be part of the LEGO® Star Wars™ programme, meaning that a galaxy far, far away…. can now play back!

BILLUND, DENMARK & LAS VEGAS, USA, 5 JANUARY 2026: The LEGO Group has unveiled LEGO® SMART Play™, a new interactive platform set to transform LEGO play experiences for kids and families. With this exciting innovation, builders can bring their LEGO creations to life in ways they’ve never imagined!

Showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in a presentation from Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer of the LEGO Group and Tom Donaldson, Senior Vice President & Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group, LEGO SMART Play™ represents one of the most significant evolutions in the LEGO System-in-Play since the introduction of the LEGO Minifigure in 1978.

Designed to inspire children, LEGO SMART Play™ turns their imaginative ideas into reality, bringing their creations to life with moments of surprise and discovery. The combination of LEGO SMART Play™’s platform elements – the LEGO SMART Brick, LEGO SMART Tags and LEGO SMART Minifigures – react in real time to bring an interactive play experience to kids that is full of exploration and imaginative storytelling.

Joining the LEGO Group at CES was Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer of The Walt Disney Company and President of Disney Entertainment Marketing, and Dave Filoni, Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, to announce that the first LEGO SMART Play™ building sets announced for fans will feature Star Wars™ - the perfect playground for epic storytelling, unforgettable characters and endless brick-built adventures. For the first time, with LEGO SMART Play™, a galaxy far, far away…. will play back! The new sets will launch on March 1st, 2026, in select markets.

What is LEGO SMART Play™?

The new platform features more than twenty patented world-firsts within its technology, and the LEGO SMART Brick – at the heart of the platform – is powered by a custom-made chip, measuring smaller than a standard LEGO stud.

The technology has been developed by the LEGO Group’s Creative Play Lab team to enable responsive physical play, breathing builder’s LEGO creations through advanced, invisible technology.

The LEGO SMART Brick is packed with technologies that bring play to life including sensors, accelerometers, light sensing and a sound sensor as well as a miniature speaker driven by an onboard synthesiser, and much more, in addition to easy wireless charging.

LEGO SMART Tags and LEGO SMART Minifigures are paired with the LEGO SMART Brick to power the system and allow builders’ creations to become interactive, responding to actions with appropriate sounds and behaviours, allowing for a truly responsive play experience. All elements are compatible with the existing LEGO System-in-Play.

For over 90 years, the LEGO Group has sparked imagination and creativity in children around the globe. As the world evolves, so do we— innovating to meet the play needs of each new generation. LEGO SMART Play™ is the next exciting chapter in our LEGO System in Play and something we are super excited about being able to bring to the world at this scale.

– Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer of the LEGO Group

The launch of LEGO SMART Play™ brings creativity, technology, and storytelling together to make building worlds and stories even more engaging, and all without a screen. We truly believe we are setting a new standard for interactive, imaginative experiences and can’t wait to see this innovation in the hands of kids when we launch this year.

– Tom Donaldson, Senior Vice President & Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group

LEGO SMART Play™ building sets come to the LEGO Star Wars™ Galaxy

Now, brick builders and Star Wars fans alike can interact with iconic scenes, characters and moments inspired by a galaxy far, far away.... like never before as the LEGO® SMART Play™ system makes its debut with three ‘All-In-One' LEGO Star Wars building sets.

Our teams work hand-in-hand with best-in-class licensees to bring technology and innovation to products that continue our storytelling in new and unexpected ways. This milestone in our long-time collaboration with the LEGO Group adds a new dimension to this legacy, continuing to help fans express their creativity and imagination by extending the Star Wars story through play.

– Paul Gitter, Executive Vice President of Global Brand Commercialization at Disney Consumer Products 

We’ve worked with our incredible friends at Lucasfilm for over 25 years, and our focus has always remained on creating original, unique experiences for the fan community through our sets. With LEGO SMART Play, legendary stories and characters of the Star Wars galaxy will come to life like never before.”

– Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer of the LEGO Group

For the first time in the history of LEGO Star Wars™, with LEGO SMART Play™ sets, the battle comes to life, allowing fans to recreate iconic scenes and interactions, as well as create new ones. Fans can unlock SMART features such as Lightsaber™ hums with the SMART Minifigures of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, the engine roar of the A-wing and even listen to “The Imperial March” with Emperor Palpatine sitting on his throne.

LEGO SMART Play™ will continue to expand through new updates, launches and technology – with the LEGO Group set to reveal more additions in the future.

READ MORE: See all the new LEGO® parts in January 2026 sets

Help New Elementary keep publishing articles like this. Become a Patron!

A huge thank you to all our patrons for your support, especially our 'Vibrant Coral' tier: London AFOLs, Antonio Serra, Beyond the Brick, Huw Millington, Dave Schefcik, David and Breda Fennell, Gerald Lasser, Baixo LMmodels, Sue Ann Barber and Trevor Clark, Markus Rollbühler, Elspeth De Montes, Megan Lum, Andy Price, Chuck Hagenbuch, Jf, Wayne R. Tyler, Daniel Church, Lukas Kurth (StoneWars), Timo Luehnen, Chris Wight, Jonathan Breidert, Brick Owl, BrickCats, Erin and Dale, Thunderdave, Jake Forbes and our newest top-tier patron, H.Y. Leung! You folks are better than inverted cheese slopes.

©2026 New Elementary. ©2026 The LEGO Group.