Lego unveils a technology-packed Good Brick at CES 2026

Lego bricks are available in a ridiculously huge array of configurations and dimensions, however the firm is unveiling a wholly new tackle its traditional form at CES 2026. Meet the Lego Good Brick, a standard-sized 2 x 4 brick that’s full of trendy expertise to allow units that may reply to how they’re performed with or the units you construct. It’s a part of a new initiative known as Good Play, which encompasses the Good Brick in addition to Good Minifigures and Good Tags. Whereas we clearly don’t know but how Lego followers will take to this new system, it’s nonetheless honest to say it’s the most important transfer Lego has each made to infuse its merchandise with linked expertise.

The Good Brick has a 4.1mm ASIC chip within it that Lego says is smaller than a normal Lego stud. It runs one thing known as the Play Engine that may sense issues like movement, orientation and magnetic fields. Due to this and a few built-in copper coils, the Good Brick can sense distance, route and orientation of different Good Bricks close to it whenever you’re constructing. The brick additionally has a tiny built-in speaker, an accelerometer and an LED array. Lego says the speaker can produce audio that’s “tied to stay play actions” relatively than simply enjoying pre-recorded clips.

The Good Tag and Good Minifigures are quite a bit less complicated. The Tag is a 2 x 2 studless tile with a digital ID embedded in it that the Good Brick can learn through “near-field magnetic communication.” This clearly sounds quite a bit like NFC, however we are able to’t make certain that these new Lego items will have the ability to talk with another NFC gadgets. Equally, the Good Minifigure additionally has a digital ID readable by NFC.

The aim of the Good Tag in addition to the same tech in a Good Minifigure is to let the Good Brick know what sort of context it’s being utilized in. As Lego places it, “The function of the Good Tag is to inform the Good Brick the way it ought to play again with you.” The Tag tells the Brick what sort of object, animal, automobile and so forth it ought to develop into. A Good Tag in a Lego Star Wars X-Wing set, for instance, will comprise the distinctive ID and directions for the way the Good Brick ought to behave.

If this isn’t sufficient, Lego has additionally constructed an area wi-fi layer that connects this all collectively known as BrickNet. It’s primarily based on Bluetooth and makes use of Lego’s proprietary “Neighbor Place Measurement” system, which is what lets the Good Bricks understand how shut they’re to one another and the way they’re oriented. Lego says that this lets the bricks “speak” to one another instantly with out the necessity for apps, web connections or exterior controls. It appears like the thought is all three of those new Good items can talk and work together with none want for setup, which ought to make it refreshingly like a conventional Lego set.

That stated, these bricks naturally will want some energy. Lego says that their batteries ought to nonetheless carry out even after “years” of inactivity, and the coils and energy system is designed in order that a number of bricks may be charged wirelessly on a shared charging pad.

Talking of units, Lego is unsurprisingly launching the Good Play system with its largest licensed associate: Star Wars. There shall be three “all-in-one” Star Wars units obtainable, all of that are on the smaller facet and positively geared in direction of youngsters, relatively than the 1,000 piece and up units that the corporate has launched to get adults (like me) .

The costs are inflated in comparison with non-smart units, however not outrageously so. Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter is a 473-piece set with a wise Darth Vader Minifigure, one Good Brick and one Good Tag, priced at $70. Luke’s Pink 5 X-Wing is a 584-piece set with two Good Minifigures, one Good Brick and 5 Good Tags, priced at $100. The Throne Room Duel & A-wing is a 962-piece set with three Good Minifigures, two Good Bricks and 5 Good Tags, priced at a barely stunning $160.

It’s a wholly new route for Lego, and also you gained’t have to attend lengthy to test it out. The corporate is placing these three units up for pre-order on January 9, they usually’ll launch on March 1. There’s clearly a number of expertise right here that’s fully new to Lego, and as such it’s arduous to think about simply how this may all look when it comes collectively — however we’re hoping that Lego may have some units readily available right here at CES so we are able to get a more in-depth have a look at how the Good Play system works.

Within the meantime, you could find just a few movies on how Good Play works right here.