Lego’s Smart Bricks explained: what they do, and what they don’t

Lego has unveiled Smart Bricks, described by the company as its most important product release since 1978, effectively making a computer housed inside a 2×4 brick. The Smart Brick is part of the Smart Play system and includes a custom ASIC chip, accelerometers, light and sound sensors, an LED array, and a speaker with an onboard synthesiser that generates real-time sound effects.

The bricks charge wirelessly on a dedicated pad, contain batteries that Lego says can last for years, and communicate with each other to trigger actions such as interactive sounds, with Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures providing additional behavioural cues. Lego emphasises privacy, noting a Bluetooth-based BrickNet protocol with encryption and that the microphone is a sensor and not used for recording, with no cameras and no AI in the brick.

The initial line-up includes three kits—Tie Fighters, X-Wings, and A-Wings—and pre-orders open on 9 January, following Lego’s CES 2026 reveal in Las Vegas, where Lucasfilm was named as its first Smart Play partner.