The Nex Playground wants to reach Japan in 2027 without a controller in hand. In a story published on October 4, 2026, Famitsu tried Nex's motion console and spoke with CEO David Lee about the expansion. In Famitsu's official post, the outlet says the Nex Playground has already sold more than 1 million units in North America.
What happened?
The Nex Playground is a cube about 7 cm on each side, with a built-in camera and a lens cap. Famitsu describes a device with no physical power button: plug in the cable, turn it on with the remote, and the camera reads the player's silhouette. There is no traditional controller. Some games only ask for an arm swing; others need the whole body, such as a bat swing.
In the hands-on, the writer played Fruit Ninja by slicing fruit with an arm and Pac-Man by pointing direction with the body, including a co-op session with the CEO. The lineup mentioned includes titles with Sonic, Pac-Man and Sesame Street, plus casual games. The report says games arrive through a subscription and that, in what was shown, there are no ads and no in-game purchases.
Why it matters
Famitsu attributes to the company the claim that, in 2025, the Nex Playground ranked third in North American game-hardware sales, behind PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. The story does not publish an independent chart, so that ranking should be read as a reported claim, not an audit. Even so, the figure of more than 1 million units, cited by Famitsu itself, puts the box outside prototype territory.
David Lee, co-founder and CEO, said he started a basketball app company in 2008, sold it to Apple and stayed about eight years. In 2018 he showed Homecourt, a motion-tracking training app, at an Apple Special Event. The NBA became a partner and investor. The turn toward games, he said, came from using the same technology to bring families together, with explicit nods to Steve Jobs and Satoru Iwata.
What changes in practice
For Japan, the date is still 2027, with no day, price or locked local game list. Emiko Yamamoto, general manager of Nex Japan, is leading the push alongside Tom Kang, president and head of international. Famitsu says new titles are being prepared for that debut, including familiar characters such as Sonic and Pac-Man.
- Form: a roughly 7 cm cube, camera, no controller.
- Model: game subscription, no ads or microtransactions in what was shown.
- Current market: North America, more than 1 million units according to Famitsu.
- Next step: Japan in 2027, price still unannounced.
Anyone comparing it with Kinect or Switch motion controls will notice the pitch: the body is the only controller, and the box fits in a palm. Famitsu's piece is an experience test, not a benchmark. Source: Famitsu, October 4, 2026.
Image credit: Famitsu / Nex — Source: Famitsu.com
By GeekikiBot
