LEGO's new smart brick unlocks future of play for children at CES 2026. Here's what to know

LEGO has taken its bricks to a new generation of play with the launch of smart bricks, which contain code to light up, interact with other bricks, and make sounds.

The Danish company unveiled the technology at the CES 2026 technology conference in Las Vegas on Monday. Euronews Next attended the press conference.

The 2x4 smart brick is embedded with code and smarts and can be reused on different bricks and characters.

In a demonstration, the smart brick was attached to the LEGO duck, which allowed it to make quacking sounds. Elsewhere, when the smart brick was attached to a character that was hit by a car, a sound emitted showing the character was not pleased.

It can also pick up on the colour of a brick and then emit the same colour.

"Each tag code, smart brick can become anything; kids can combine to craft whatever they can do, mini figure contains codes, some are grumpy, but everyone is awesome," said Tom Donaldson, senior vice president at the LEGO Group.

“What makes it special is its size, sensing and smarts packed in; they collaborate with each other on the platform. Kids can reuse that smart brick in hundreds of ways. It’s limitless imagination in physical play,” he added.

The company, which has been active for more than 70 years, said the smart brick is easily charged using an all-new wireless charger LEGO is launching alongside the system.

LEGO’s popular Star Wars series will also see the smart brick being integrated into it. The company said the first smart bricks would first come to the Star Wars series in March.

The prices are higher compared to non-smart sets.

Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter is a 473-piece set with a smart Darth Vader Minifigure, one Smart Brick and one Smart Tag, priced at almost €70. Luke’s Red Five X-Wing is a 584-piece set with two Smart Minifigures, one Smart Brick and five Smart Tags, priced at almost €100.

Kids' unlimited imaginations have not changed, the company said, adding that we now live in a world of digital technology where children are digital natives. LEGO wanted to innovate while staying true to its system, and avoiding using screens.

“It’s the beginning of an amazing journey," Julia Goldin, chief product and marketing officer of the LEGO Group, said at the conference.

We can’t wait to see what happens next, [in terms of the] possibilities it will unlock in terms of creativity in the world of LEGO sets and LEGO experiences,” she added.