How this little-known toy maker sold its product on Amazon

The Nex Playground, a motion-tracking game console for kids, has unexpectedly become one of the most popular toys of the holiday season, despite being made by a little-known Silicon Valley startup called Nex rather than an established toy or gaming company.

According to a new report from wall street journalNex sold 5,000 units of Playground two years ago and 150,000 units last year. It is projected to sell 600,000 units in 2025 and is on track to generate sales of more than $150 million this year.

nex playground is a compact, cube-shaped console that connects to a TV and uses a camera and computer vision to track players’ body movements, turning entire body movement into game controls. Instead of using traditional controllers, users jump, lean, and wave to interact with the game, making the product an “active play” system that incorporates physical activity into screen time.

Connected: This mom’s initiative to sell kids’ toys for $600 turned into a business and earned over $1 million a year

The Nex Playground is priced at $249, which is cheaper than a flagship console like $499 playstation 5 and $449 nintendo switch 2On Black Friday, the Playground sold out and was temporarily out of stock on Amazon, reaching number 1 in the Toys & Games category, It is currently the number 1 bestseller Plug-and-Play Video Games On Amazon.

Matt Piscatella, an analyst at market research firm Circana, expressed disbelief that the Nex Playground could become a best-selling product so quickly. “To be completely honest, I didn’t know this thing existed until a month ago,” he explained. WSJ,

WSJ The report highlights that parents are attracted to NEX Playground because it encourages mobility rather than sedentary play. It is appealing as a family-friendly, living room activity, making it attractive to families who would otherwise avoid purchasing a traditional console. Its pastel, toy-like design sets it apart from mainstream consoles, making it easy for parents to see it as a family toy.

Connected: An idea this dad developed at his kitchen table is now a favorite children’s toy with over 3 million units sold

Playground sales increased due to word of mouth marketing, social media and parent group chats WSJThe console already supports dozens of games like Bowling: Strike! And fruit ninjabut achieved a major victory by adding bLouis: Bust-A-Move this fall. Blue Was most popular shows On streaming television, 55 billion minutes were streamed in 2024, so the addition of the game significantly increased awareness and demand for the console.

Nex started as a computer-vision startup nearly a decade ago HomecourtAn iPhone app that tracks basketball shots and performance using AI. In short after attempting to create a gamified workout app called active arcadeThe startup eventually branched out into home gaming.

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The Nex Playground, a motion-tracking game console for kids, has unexpectedly become one of the most popular toys of the holiday season, despite being made by a little-known Silicon Valley startup called Nex rather than an established toy or gaming company.

According to a new report from wall street journalNex sold 5,000 units of Playground two years ago and 150,000 units last year. It is projected to sell 600,000 units in 2025 and is on track to generate sales of more than $150 million this year.