Lego Debuts 'Smart Brick' at CES, Bringing Light, Sound and Silicon Into the Classic 2x4
Lego’s new Smart Brick launched at CES, adding light, sound, and sensors to classic sets—without screens—starting with Star Wars.
In brief
- The Smart Brick embeds a custom chip, sensors, lights, and sound inside a standard Lego brick, with no apps or screens required.
- Bricks interact with tagged minifigures and each other via Lego’s encrypted BrickNet system for synchronized effects.
- The rollout begins March 1 with premium Star Wars sets priced from $69.99 to $159.99.
The hottest product unveiled at CES 2026 this week? Lego's "Smart Brick," a tech-loaded 2x4 that adds lights, sounds and sensor-driven responses to traditional Lego sets—without requiring apps, displays, or external devices.
The Smart Brick embeds a miniature computer inside a standard Lego form factor. At its core is a custom application-specific integrated circuit, or ASIC, smaller than a single Lego stud.
The chip powers LED lighting effects, a built-in speaker with synthesized sound, an accelerometer to detect movement and orientation, NFC sensors to identify nearby pieces, and a light sensor that reacts to environmental changes. The brick also uses near-field magnetic positioning to enable precise interactions between components.
This is where the fun begins!
Reimagine the galaxy far, far away with the all new LEGO® Smart Brick that combines world-first technologies to bring your storyline to life. LEGO® SMART PLAY™ experiences launch March 1. pic.twitter.com/i4PfeTgWcW
— Star Wars (@starwars) January 6, 2026
Lego calls the system its biggest change to the “System-in-Play” since the minifigure debuted in 1978. Unlike previous interactive sets, the Smart Brick is designed to operate entirely in the physical world. There is no power button, no screen and no required setup. The brick wakes on interaction and charges wirelessly via induction.
What the Smart Brick does
The real novelty lies in how the Smart Brick interacts with so-called Smart Tags—tiny embedded identifiers placed in compatible minifigures, tiles and accessories. When a tagged piece comes close, the brick triggers context-specific responses. A Luke Skywalker minifigure near a lightsaber can produce a low hum and glowing effect. Tilt an X-Wing build, and engine sounds or laser blasts fire in sync with the motion.
Multiple Smart Bricks can also communicate with one another using Lego’s proprietary Bluetooth-based protocol, BrickNet. The encrypted system allows sets to form a mesh network, enabling coordinated behavior across builds—such as timing races, tracking collisions, or triggering synchronized sound effects across a scene.
Lego emphasized privacy and child safety throughout the CES presentation. The microphone embedded in the brick functions only as a virtual button for simple voice commands and does not record audio. There is no camera, no cloud connectivity and no onboard AI processing.