There comes a point in life when you realize that you’re getting a little on the unhealthier side. For some, that realization comes by a health scare, or perhaps that favorite t-shirt of yours no longer fits. For me, it came in the form of a bright, small cube called the NEX Playground.
The NEX Playground went viral during the holiday season of 2025 in North America, and now the console has finally launched in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. For the past few weeks, I’ve been hands-on with the console, getting to grips with this quirky little device with friends and family.
NEX Playground Review
Now, I’ll be honest, I am a gamer, and I write about video games for a living, which isn’t that bad of a job. That being said, it does involve sitting around a lot of the time, which ultimately means a lack of exercise in the day-to-day. So when I plugged in the NEX Playground for the first time, which, by the way, only took 5 minutes to set up, I was in for a bit of a shock.
Of course, I had to start with the classic Fruit Ninja. It’s a game that I’ve enjoyed playing over the years on my phone or tablet, but doing the moves in person, using my entire body, frankly, was exhausting. It took me back to playing Beat Saber for the first time in VR. It was fun, but just a few games later, I really started to feel like I was doing some light cardio, which isn’t a bad thing by any means, and that’s what I wanted to focus on with this review.
The NEX Playground doesn’t use a controller; instead, you are the controller in all of its games. It’s very similar to the tech used in the EyeToy for the PlayStation 2, but with the NEX Playground, you can use your entire body to duck, jump, and more.
One of the NEX Playgrounds’ best features is that it is healthy to use. In a world crammed by people glued to their mobile phones, or sat playing games, I think the NEX Playground has a real opportunity to promote itself as a healthy alternative to video games. Sure, you’re going to get folks pushing back on the idea, but for those with a young family in particular, the NEX Playground is a brilliant way to spend time with family.
Despite how good the NEX Playground is, though, I think it’s important to outline its pricing model, because, quite frankly, it is on the steep side, especially given today’s climate. You can purchase the console from all major UK retailers for £269.99. At face value, that isn’t that bad of a price point, but then you need to factor in the NEX Playground Play Pass to play its games. The cheapest option on a monthly basis is the 12-month Play Pass, which costs £90 per year, or £7.50 per month. In a world full of subscriptions, that’s yet another monthly bill that you’ll have to be happy with doing.
Overall, though, the NEX Playground is a fantastic little console. I love the idea and concept, and seemingly, a lot of other people do too. Using your body as the controller isn’t new technology, but it is a lot of fun.
Although we don’t typically review ratings for tech, I would give the console a solid 8 out of 10, only knocking a couple of points off because of the subscription-based pricing. But then and again, that’s the way the entire world works now… Including the Insider Gaming App.
Have you bought the NEX Playground? What do you think of it? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that a Wolverine actor will be in GTA 6, and for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter
Tom Henderson is Insider Gaming's Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief. When he's not running one of the industry's leading independent video game websites, he's probably playing an FPS like Call of Duty,…
More from Tom Henderson
Comments