The biggest revolution in LEGO bricks in 50 years at CES 2026

Smart Bricks. The biggest revolution in LEGO in 50 years

At CES 2026, LEGO presented probably the biggest revolution since 1978, when it introduced the famous minifigure with movable limbs and a “classic” smile. After almost half a century, it’s time for another step forward, this time using modern digital technologies and their miniaturization. The new LEGO Smart Brick system is based on a small computer (a specialized integrated circuit, ASIC) in a classic 2×4 brick. When it detects smart NFC tags nearby, placed in new blocks and figures, the set will come to life. The manufacturer talks about the clanging of lightsabers, roaring engines, sounds of blasters and music from Lego Star Wars, as the first three sets using smart bricks come from this universe. They will go on sale in March.

Unlike LEGO Super Mario sets, which require two AAA batteries and activate when the lower camera detects certain colors or barcodes, LEGO Smart Brick charges wirelessly, and multiple bricks can be placed on the base to charge at the same time. The battery is supposed to remain charged even after years of inactivity. So you can return to the fun, or as the manufacturer calls it – Smart Play, at virtually any time.

Smart Brick is also, as we mentioned at the beginning, a set of sensors. They detect light, sound, movement, tilt and gestures, and create a Bluetooth spatial network with other smart bricks, so the bricks know about their mutual position and orientation. This may prove useful, for example, when reenacting battle scenes or in races – the system will know which car crossed the finish line first, and when the car falls over, the sound of the engine will change to the sound of a crash.

Do new technologies block or stimulate creativity?

Another layer of interaction is provided by the built-in microphone. However, it serves as a trigger rather than a recording tool. As Lego Group spokeswoman Jessica Benson explained, the microphone can be used, for example, to be placed on a birthday cake, and when it detects a blowing sound, “stuff happens.” The spokeswoman adds that the element is not used to collect data or record details, but only “receives sound-related signals and responds in real time to what children do with it.”

At the same time, it may be justified to fear that children’s creativity will no longer be stimulated as much due to this excess of stimuli. Finally, you no longer have to imitate the sounds of lasers, explosions or howling engines yourself, as the system plays them automatically. On the other hand, Smart Brick and Smart Play can encourage new types of creativity.

For example, as Lego spokesman Jack Rankin explained, when kids combine a smart tag that quacks like a duck with a helicopter set, they get a duck helicopter. There may be more such non-obvious connections. Moreover, all interactivity takes place without the use of a screen (smartphone or computer), which is important for the health and proper development of children.

Quite surprisingly, however, the new LEGO system does not include AI at all. It’s quite rare in recent years for every innovator to claim that their solution is “intelligent.”

LEGO Star Wars and later Pokemon? The first LEGO Smart Play sets

The first LEGO Smart Brick sets will go on sale on March 1, 2026. They will all come from the LEGO Star Wars universe. These will be:

• 473-piece Darth Vader TIE Fighter with one smart brick, one TIE Fighter smart tag and one Darth Vader smart figure. The price is $70.

• 584-piece Luke’s Red Five X-Wing set with one smart brick, five tags (X-Wing, Imperial turret, transporter, command center and R2-D2 accessories) and smart figures of Luke and Leia. The price is $100.

• 962-piece Darth Vader’s Throne Room Duel & A-Wing set with two smart bricks, three smart figures (Luke Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader) and five tags (A-Wing, throne, Death Star turret and two lightsabers).

• The price is $160.

The manufacturer announced that “Lego Smart Play will continue to grow through new updates, launches and technologies.” It seems unlikely that this new technology will stop with Star Wars. Rumors have it that it will be included in Lego Pokemon sets next.