Building on the Smart Play system's unveiling at CES 2026 with interactive Star Wars sets, Lego reveals eight years of research into fostering children's social play and agency. Executives outline the platform's flexible design and growth potential, amid questions on premium pricing.
Lego's Smart Play platform, detailed further after its CES 2026 debut featuring sensor-equipped Smart Bricks, Tags, and Minifigures in Star Wars sets, originated from extensive consumer research spanning eight years.
Tom Donaldson, senior vice president and head of the Creative Play Lab, shared the vision: “We started really looking at consumer needs, and this idea that kids really like social play. Kids really like the sort of things that change when they come back to them, and the kids really like agency. They want to be able to change things.” The system responds to movements, contexts, and interactions, enhancing traditional building without screens.
Emphasizing scalability, Donaldson noted: “We wanted to build a really powerful platform. What we shouldn't do is say, ‘this is what we think we're gonna need.’ We needed to say, ‘let's create something that has a lot of capabilities that we can then figure out how to use.’” The launch includes Star Wars sets from the original trilogy, selected for cross-generational appeal. Disney’s Derek Stothard, director of global licensing, explained: “Very early on, we all decided that starting with the original trilogy would be great. These are such well-known scenes and characters, and they cross generations, so parents can introduce them to their kids. All that works really well together.”
For example, the Throne Room Duel & A-Wing set (~1,000 pieces, $160) incorporates multiple Smart elements. Lego sees vast potential, comparing it to the minifigure's ubiquity: “We're announcing a platform that you can see has tremendous growth [potential].” Yet, high costs from licensing and tech may limit adoption, with hopes for affordable add-ons to integrate across the ecosystem.
