Nex Playground opens UK and Ireland pre-orders today

Nex Playground is expanding into the UK and Ireland, with pre-orders opening today through Amazon UK, Argos and Smyths Toys. The camera-based active-play console is expected to become widely available in late June through those retailers and TikTok Shop. This is not a traditional console competing directly with PlayStation, Xbox or Switch 2, but it is still part of the gaming hardware conversation because it targets families, movement-based play and living-room accessibility. Nex Playground uses camera tracking rather than handheld controllers, placing it closer to the legacy of Kinect, EyeToy and Wii-era motion gaming, but with a more modern plug-and-play design. The real question is whether there is still a large enough audience for dedicated active-play hardware in 2026. Families may like the simplicity, but the device has to compete with tablets, Switch, mobile games and smart-TV entertainment. Its UK and Ireland launch will be a useful test of whether camera-based social play can still find space beyond fitness apps and party-game nostalgia.