LEGO Smart Play Discussion

[a_clay_brick]

Figured it's about time for a dedicated thread for this stuff. Apologies if this is not the right place for it, or if one was already made (I couldn't see one when I searched). All images come from LEGO's website, none of these are leaked.

What is LEGO Smart Play?

Smart Play is LEGO's next foray into the toys-to-life/smart toy market. Imagine LEGO Mario, but the Mario tech shrunk down into the size of a 2x4 brick.

For those unfamiliar, the LEGO Mario figure has sounds, lights, a scanner, and can connect to the LEGO Mario app. The scanner used an optical sensor combined with a color sensor to allow the Mario figure to react to certain things. If you put it on a red tile, it will treat it as lava. If you put it on a special 2x2 tile with a code, it will scan the code and react with sounds or lights. By connecting LEGO Mario to the app using Bluetooth, you are able to download updates that give new code tile information to the figure. If you purchase the other variants, Luigi and Peach, they can interact with each other.

The smart brick is an evolution of the technology I just described. By inserting the brick into various builds, its function will change. Place it in a volcano and it will glow red and rumble. Place it in a helicopter, it will provide headlights and make helicopter noises. Put it in a creature, and it can roar when you move it. LEGO's write up was about it was this:

Quote

The smartest LEGO brick we've ever built

The new LEGO brick is smart. You play with it and it responds directly to everything you do. The way you hold it. The way you move it. Even the way you build and rebuild your set. You're in complete control. Meet a very smart brick that knows how to play smart — and how to play silly too. 

It was first tested with City-Jungle sets in mid-2024 in the UK test market. You can read the discussion around it then here. 

The test sets were as follows: 60691 Jungle Explorer Base Camp, 60692 The Lost Crocodile Temple, and 60693 Survivor Island Seaplane. Only the explorer base camp included the brick, but all three sets utilized it. This also follows the Mario formula, with a starter set then auxiliary sets to utilize it.

60691 included the smart brick, a wireless charger for the smart brick, and three electronic minifigures. These minifigs are capable of sensing the smart brick and are able to play sounds.

Patents:

Spoiler

Also included were, like LEGO Mario, scannable code tiles that tell the smart brick to perform specific functions.

Spoiler

Thanks to reliable sources for rumors, we know the brick will be capable of connecting to apps and games, potentially even games like Fortnite. It is currently unknown how it exactly it would be implemented into stuff like that.

What we do know is that LEGO will be making a very big push for this in 2026, with it being in everything from 4+ Bluey sets to Technic sets aimed at teens. It will be in original themes and licensed themes like Star Wars and Pokemon. I will be sure to keep this thread updated with more information as we get it.

Edited 16 hours ago by a_clay_brick
added additional image

[JopieK]

Interesting @a_clay_brick! Do you have it already? I would really like to see the internals ;)

[MAB]

It doesn't sound that interesting for AFOLs, it sounds like a trigger and response type toy. Put the trigger part close to the sensor and it makes a noise. Fun for 60 seconds but not much use after that. And no doubt it will massively increase the price of the sets it is in.

[Lyichir]

I think it sounds fine... like an evolution of classic light and sound elements from the 80s and 90s, with a bit more versatility (since it seems small and the same brick can make multiple sounds based on its interaction with other parts, instead of needing a bulky and specialized light and sound element for each set). Yes, it's mostly a novelty, but so are so many other gimmick features from throughout the years.