If there's anything you've probably heard about LEGO's first CES showcase this year, it's the Smart Brick. It's the cornerstone (or should I say cornerbrick?) of Smart Play, LEGO's new interactive system powered by modified bricks and minifigures stuffed with a surprising amount of built-in tech like LEDs and motion sensors. Now you can preorder Lego's first Smart Brick sets, and the company's kicking things off with a throwback to some of its most iconic collabs in a galaxy far, far away.
Three Star Wars sets — the Emperor's Throne Room Duel, Luke's X-Wing, and Darth Vader's TIE Fighter — are available for preorder now on Amazon, with shipping set to begin March 1. Each set comes with at least one Smart Brick, basically a tiny computer that can interact with Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags through embedded NFC chips, which trigger certain sounds or lighting effects depending on their surroundings. For example, a Smart Brick attached to a police car Smart Tag will blare sirens when a robber minifigure approaches and turn off when a police officer minifigure gets close. Most importantly, the system works all on its own, without needing to connect to your smart device.
The cheapest set, the $69.99 Smart Play TIE Fighter, comes with one Smart Brick, one Smart Tag, and a Smart Darth Vader minifigure. You also get one Smart Brick with the $89.99 Smart Play X-Wing, along with five Smart Tags and Smart Luke and Leia figures. The $159 Smart Play Throne Room Duel throws in another Smart Brick and figure. All three sets also include LEGO's new wireless charger that can accommodate two bricks at a time. Depending on which set you get, the Smart Bricks can flash lights and emit the sounds of Lightsabers clashing or lasers whizzing by.
Considering the non-Smart Play X-Wing set cost $49 until it was retired in 2024, it's a sizable markup on what's already among the most expensive LEGO builds. LEGO fans have been divided at the announcement, with some complaining about the cost and LEGO moving away from imagination-based play, while others can't wait to test out all the play possibilities this new tech brings. Like a lot of folks, Tom's Guide's own Kate Kozuch was skeptical before going hands-on with LEGO's Smart Brick at CES 2026. After toying with the Smart Brick, she said she understands the potential, especially for younger builders. It's clear the Star Wars sets are just the beginning of LEGO's renewed focus on kids over adult collectors.
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