Lego Adds Smart Bricks So Kids Can Pretend Tech Problems Are Part Of Play

KEY POINTS

•Lego revealed the Smart Play system at CES 2026, showcasing high-tech bricks with sensors and speakers.
•The first Star Wars-themed sets launch March 1 with prices ranging from $70 to $160.
•Adult Lego fans and toy experts expressed mixed feelings, citing concerns about cost and retaining imaginative play.

At CES 2026, Lego unveiled the 'Smart Brick,' a two-by-four piece packed with sensors, lights, and tiny speakers that hum like a caffeinated micro-robot. This bricks-with-batteries evolution, touted as Lego's biggest since 1978's minifigs, powers sets including a $70 Darth Vader with 473 pieces, a $100 Red Five X-Wing, and the $160 Throne Room Duel with 962 pieces—pricing your imagination into bankruptcy. AFOLs (Adult Fans of Lego) like Jake Doll worry the 'tech-ification' will turn Lego into R2-D2’s pricey cousin, while toy expert Bob Friedland would rather spend $28 on an analog Back to the Future Delorean than digital dueling. Lego promises no AI, just prepackaged sounds, wireless charging, and the hope parents see this as a lesser evil than phones. Welcome to playtime 2.0: where your bricks gossip, beep, and judge your building skills quietly.