During Black Friday, the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 were both outsold in terms of sales by a relatively young and obscure gaming system, the Nex Playground.
It’s a motion-controlled device aimed at younger kids and families that functions similarly to Microsoft’s Kinect, and it’s now on sale for $199.99 at Best Buy thanks to this holiday discount.
Why buy the Nex Playground?
Who would’ve thought Xbox and PlayStation console SKUs would be outsold by this obscure gaming device during Black Friday? It certainly took me by surprise as I never heard of the Nex Playground 2023 gaming system until today, and it’s an interesting little device to say the least.
As stated earlier, the Nex Playground is a device similar to the Kinect, which uses an AI-empowered camera to track a player’s body movements to play motion-controlled video games without the need for any controllers.
To use the Nex Playground, simply plug it into your TV via an HDMI cable and position the camera to face the player’s body so they can use their body language to navigate menus.
It comes pre-installed with five family-friendly party games like Fruit Ninja, Whac-a-Mole Deluxe, Go Keeper, Party Fowl, and Starri. Plus, it has a wider selection of over 45 video games based on long-running kids-oriented franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Peppa Pig, How to Train Your Dragon, Barbie, and many more to buy online.
The Nex Playground also features an optional, Xbox Game Pass-style subscription service that will allow you to freely download and play its entire game library.
The access fee for this service, according to the Nex Playground website’s Play Pass section, is $49.00 for the 3-Month Play Pass and $89.00 for the 12-Month Play Pass.
Overall, the Next Playground is a cute and oddly nostalgic gaming system that hearkens back to the Nintendo Wii-era, where motion-controlled party games that encouraged fitness for the whole family were all the rage.
Plus, the Next Playground makes a good budget-friendly recommendation to little kids into gaming, as its 249.99 MSRP is more affordable than the Xbox Series X’s $649.99 MSRP, PlayStation 5’s $549.00 MSRP, and even the Nintendo Switch 2’s $499.99 MSRP.
In fact, it’s now even more affordable thanks to this early Christmas discount that has taken its $249.99 MSRP down to $199.99 at Best Buy, making it the perfect Christmas party machine to enjoy with your children, nephews, nieces, or siblings.
Alternative discount deal
Should Best Buy’s stock of the Nex Playground run dry or its discount deal expires, here’s an alternative deal at Walmart you can use as a backup option.
FAQs
What is the Nex Playgound?
The Nex Playground is a video game system created by Nex Inc. in 2023 that uses an AI-Camera to track a player’s body movements in real-time in order to play motion-controlled video games.
Does Nex Playground require Wi-fi?
The Nex Playground requires a Wi-Fi internet connection to download software updates and download video games. However, the Next Playground’s library of games can be freely played offline once downloaded.
How many players does Nex Playground support?
Up to four players can use the Nex Playground at once depending on the game you’re playing it with.
Is the Nex Playground’s content safe for kids?
The Nex Playground and it’s content is family-friendly and safe to use for kids as its been KidSAFE+ COPPO Certified. It also features no ads, no micro-transactions, and no chat features.
Does the Nex Playground camera record video footage?
The official Nex Playground website states that the camera does not record video footage, nor does it store any. Plus, it has a camera cover to give the user some extra peace of mind.
Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!
