LEGO Brick Comes to Life: Company Introduces Smart Brick — First "Smart" Brick with Chip, Sensors, LED Lighting and Sound
At the CES 2026 tech exhibition, LEGO surprised the public by introducing the Smart Brick — a new vision for its sets.
What We Know
The Smart Brick is the brand's first "smart" brick that outwardly resembles the classic 2×4 piece, but contains a processor, sensors, speaker, and LEDs inside. The new product became the basis of the new LEGO SMART Play platform, which the company calls the biggest technological step in the last 50 years.
The Smart Brick can respond to movements, tilts, taps, and interactions with other elements of the system.
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Inside the brick are:
- a microprocessor;
- a speaker;
- an LED matrix;
- an accelerometer and other sensors;
- a BrickNet wireless module for connecting with other Smart elements without a smartphone or internet.
The brick can "communicate" with Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags — special tiles with digital IDs that provide context for the play. For example, if the Smart Brick recognizes a helicopter tag, it triggers light effects and plays the sound of rotating blades.
The LEGO SMART Play platform is fully autonomous and does not require apps or network connections. It combines physical bricks with sensors, light, sound, and autonomous logic, but without screens, smartphones, or the internet. The Smart Brick also supports wireless charging via a proprietary panel.
The first series to receive Smart Play support will be LEGO Star Wars. LEGO is launching two sets:
- Luke's Red Five X-Wing — $69.99;
- Darth Vader's Throne Room Duel A-Wing — $159.99.
Both sets will be released on March 1, 2026, with pre-orders opening on January 9.
(Video from CES 2026)
LEGO emphasizes that the Smart Brick will not replace classic bricks but will enhance the familiar mechanics. The platform will continue to evolve and receive new sets throughout the year.
