<div id="readability-page-1"><figure> <img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/sean-hollister-verge-nex-playground-331A1456.jpg/query-Y3JvcD0wLDAsMTAwLDEwMCZxdWFsaXR5PTkwJnN0cmlwPWFsbA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="2700" height="1800" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/sean-hollister-verge-nex-playground-331A1456.jpg/query-Y3JvcD0wLDAsMTAwLDEwMCZxdWFsaXR5PTkwJnN0cmlwPWFsbA"/> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> If you told me last year the Nex Playground would outsell Microsoft's Xbox, even for two weeks, I would have laughed my way out of the room. It's a three-inch cube of a game console that's likely less powerful than your phone, one which uses a single camera to track your body. It only plays curated, certified kid-safe games. Though frequently compared to the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect, the Nex Playground is worse than either at tracking motion. Nor is it cheap: $250 upfront plus $89-a-year or $49-a-quarter annual subscription to get more than a basic sampler. If you like a game, you can't buy it separately. Many are little better … Read the full story at The Verge.</div>

MSFT

The Nex Playground, a three-inch game console, outsold Microsoft's Xbox for two weeks. Despite its limited power and high cost ($250 upfront plus subscription), it offers kid-safe games using a single camera for body tracking. It's often compared to the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect but is less effective at motion tracking.

- The Nex Playground, a compact game console, managed to outsell Microsoft's Xbox for a short period, surprising the gaming community.  
- Priced at $250 plus subscription fees, it offers only curated kid-safe games and lacks advanced motion tracking capabilities compared to competitors like Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect.  
- Despite its limitations and high cost, this unexpected performance highlights shifting consumer interests in gaming consoles.

The sold-out Nex Playground made my kids laugh and cry