Nex: 2026 TIME100 Most Influential Companies

Nex Playground—a motion-activated console that connects to a TV and resembles a Rubik’s cube—is upsetting the gaming industry. Launched in December 2023, the all-ages device does not use controllers or wearables and is free of ads, algorithms, micro-transactions, and chat features. For an $89 annual fee, users can access more than 45 games—all of which are non-violent and designed to inspire active play—that are updated monthly and include everything from sports and exercise to beloved IP like Bluey and Barbie. Nex Playground is also unusually safe for kids and the privacy-minded, as its built-in camera does not store or send video data to the cloud. Parents have responded with remarkable enthusiasm. In 2024, the console sold 150,000 units after being stocked by Walmart, Target, and BestBuy; in 2025, that number rose to about 800,000, even outselling Xbox during Black Friday week. Looking ahead, Nex aims to expand the Playground’s reach beyond the U.S. and Canada and expects to sell 1 million units in the first half of 2026. “We always want to give more than we take,” says CEO David Lee. “You can have great changes with technology, but the fundamental human needs are the same,” adding that kids of every generation will always want to “move, connect, grow, and have fun.”