Nex Playground Secures Partnerships With Major Brands and Sports Leagues

The motion-controlled Nex Playground console is expanding its footprint and securing partnerships with major entertainment brands and sports leagues. During the Gamescom expo in Germany, a motion-sensing version of Pac-Man running on the Nex Playground was showcased to the public for the first time. The console focuses on fitness and family play, using body movements instead of traditional controllers in a manner similar to the Nintendo Wii.

Nex president Tom Kang noted that the console is currently available in 4,000 stores across North America, including retailers such as Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and Sam’s Club, with plans to reach 6,000 stores. The device debuts in Canada in October, and it is widely available on Amazon. The console is priced at $300, accompanied by an $89 annual unlimited game subscription.

The platform has attracted a wide variety of licensed brands. Alongside Pac-Man, the Nex Playground features sports games from the NHL and the NFL. A Sonic title, listed with the working title Sonic Forces, is coming in the fourth quarter, and a Bluey game is scheduled for release on October 6. Other brands featured on the platform include Barbie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Peppa Pig, and Sesame Street.

Nex is also in talks with various sports leagues to encourage youth participation in real-life sports. Kang stated that conversations with sports leagues have been smooth because they share a vision of reaching youth and getting them to learn games through active play. The company is currently in talks with every single sports league to build similar partnerships.

The platform has achieved notable retail milestones. According to Circana data, the Nex Playground ranked as a top-three console during the 2025 Black Friday period and outsold Xbox. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted that July sales for the device were up 112 percent compared to the same time in 2025, with average pricing increasing by 24 percent. Yoshio Osaki, president of IDG Intelligence, stated that Nex's growth shows the company is serving an underserved market segment rather than competing directly for the same household dollars as traditional hardware rivals.

Nex recently raised $150 million in funding. The company also added gaming industry veteran Jeff Shouger as chief financial officer, while Shouger and longtime gaming and technology executive Bing Gordon joined the board of directors. For its global rollout, Nex is targeting English-speaking countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, with plans to localize for additional European languages later in the year.