Nex Playground is a motion-sensing game console that takes the concept of the Nintendo Wii and advances it so you don’t need any game controller at all.
And now, in its bid to become a fourth game console in the home, it is getting an exclusive game dubbed How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Skies, exclusive to the Nex Playground.
Tom Kang, president of Nex, revealed at our GamesBeat Summit 2025 event that Berk lovers will soon have a new way to experience the magic of the viking world ahead of the highly-anticipated release of Universal Pictures’ “How to Train Your Dragon” film. Kang said he thinks of Nex Playgrounds as the “next evolution of the Wii.”
Developed in collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences, game highlights include:
- Iconic Locations: Players can experience up to six different game maps based on iconic locations from the world of How to Train Your Dragon, providing a wide range of diverse environments to master
- Engaging Game Modes: Players can hone their dragon-riding skills by learning to aim at targets, and transport sheep in Training mode, or protect the Isle of Berk from enemy dragons and showcase their combat skills
- Customized Experiences: Players can customize their gameplay experience by selecting their favorite dragon companion, including Toothless, Deadly Nadder, Gronckle, and more.
“Who doesn’t want to fly? You can choose a dragon. You can shoot fireballs. You can battle other dragons. And it’s multiplayer. Two players can play with co-op mode or against each other,” Kang said in our fireside chat at GamesBeat.
Nex Playground is a controller-free gaming console designed for families with young kids, making active, communal play more accessible and engaging than ever. It’s the first console since the Wii and Kinect to truly take active play to the next level, delivering a fresh, modern experience built for family gaming. The company also just hit a major milestone — over 200,000 units sold since launch in early 2024.
This game expands Nex Playground’s growing library of over 40 titles, and is the third game released in collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences after the release of DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda: Train Like a Master in December and Gabby’s Dollhouse: A-meow-zing Moves in February.
This immersive game draws kids and families into a cinematic dragon-training quest just ahead of the highly anticipated Universal Pictures’ live-action reimagining of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, releasing in theatres on June 13, 2025.
“We connect almost everybody, right? We connect families and friends through active play. Our mission is to get people moving through active play through motion,” Kang said.
He noted that videos of kids playing the Nex Playground show the joy of movement.
The launch of How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Skies marks a key moment leading up to the film’s release by giving players a chance to experience the high-flying, frenetic action right in their own living room.
In How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Skies, players take flight in high-speed, motion challenges inspired by the hit franchise. With intuitive flying mechanics, players use the motion of their bodies to fly, train and ride their favorite dragons to help defend the Isle of Berk from incoming threats. Featuring single and two-player modes, this skill-based adventure ensures family-friendly competition and excitement.
“How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Skies showcases the unique way riders can get off the couch and move their body together in some fire-breathing fun,” said David Lee, CEO of Nex, in a statement. “Soon, players can experience the How to Train Your Dragon film in theaters and afterwards come home and jump right back into the universe with Nex Playground. These types of moments are made possible by our continued collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences, who share our vision of family gaming.”
How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Skies is the third game released on Nex Playground in collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences, following previous releases Gabby’s Dollhouse: A-meow-zing Moves and Kung Fu Panda Train Like A Master. This partnership showcases the strength of the console’s expanding library of family-friendly games and reinforces Nex’s commitment to delivering interactive experiences for all ages.
Fans can play How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Skies exclusively on Nex Playground through Play Pass – Nex Playground’s membership pass that offers access to the entire catalog of games with no ads.
Nex Playground is a motion-controlled gaming console that transforms living rooms into interactive play spaces. How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Skies is one of over 40 titles available on the gaming system that combine motion tracking and precise games to get kids and families moving.
Kang noted the company had to raise its price from $200 to $250 because of the tariffs by the Trump administration.
While the rest of gaming is going through tough times, Kang said, “Where we look, we feel like we’re growing the space through innovation and serving markets that are underserved. We are not competing against PlayStation or Xbox. We are for kids and families three to 12 and parents who want to do silly things together in front of a motion sensing device.”
He added, “We are really going after kids and families by introducing sports activities to them that are of your age.”
The fun of motion gaming goes back to Microsoft’s Kinect motion-sensing camera, and it was follow up by the smash hit of the Nintendo Wii, which sold more than 101 million units, generating $17 billion in gross revenue. The Wii had motion-sensing controllers, but you don’t need that with the Nex Playground. The tech is all integrated into a device that is just a little bigger than a Rubik’s Cube — a fully integrated device with a camera and neural processing units.
“It’s all at one place, connected through HDMI, and your body is the controller. No sensors needed,” he said.
Kang said Nex saw the problem of how controllers were intimidating to players and that they needed a simpler interface. And gaming was making players more sedentary, not less, and that it was isolating.
“We want to get kids and families moving. I have two kids, 13 and 16, and I raised them with the iPad. I felt that there could be a better way. We could have entertainment with a purpose. So this device really is designed to fulfill that mission,” he said.
He added, “We’re stepping into a void created by, you know, them leading the market with better technology and accessible pricing.”
The company can ensure trust and safety for kids and families because it has a closed platform, where the company curates all of the games and it makes about 80% of the games.
“No content gets on the platform without us approving it. We’re the only console that’s kid safe,” he said. “We make sure that every piece of content that gets on the platform fits the standards that parents have approved.”
Kang noted that Switch 2 is evolving toward high-fidelity gaming, with a focus on the Steam Deck from Valve as its main competitive target. Rather than going after graphics, Kang said, “We’re going the other way.”
Kang said that the company has been able to diversify its manufacturing supply, but it still is getting hits with tariffs. Still, he feels more families can afford the Nex Playground than the other consoles. The company’s games have brands like Barbie, Sesame Street and Fruit Ninja.
“We’re very pleased with the performance and how the games are performing. But long term, we want to continue to bring both a mixture of licensed IP as well as original IP to the platform,” Kang said.
About 77% of people who buy the device also subscribe to the game service. And after five weeks, 84% of the people are still playing. One-year renewal has a 70% success rate. During the last holiday season, the Nex Playground sold out at Target, Walmart, and Best Buy on Black Friday.
This year, the company is in 6,000 stores and on first party on Amazon.
“We are very proud to be listed alongside very prominent platforms now, alongside the big consoles,” Kang said. “We’re breaking through.”
The company isn’t yet going to greenlight third-party games, but big companies are approaching Nex Playground to pursue the opportunity. Nex is also finding developers to make its games.
The company grew sales about four times compared to the past year. And Kang believes that companies will integrate cameras into TVs, and that could make the Nex Playground into a subscription service embedded within the operating system of the TVs. And there are 1.8 billion TV households worldwide.
The motion-sensing tech could lend itself to other applications. You could use it to control your TV set with voice and motion. There are other applications too. But the main driver today is games.
The Switch 2 has a camera and it’s going to be used for voice chat. But given the need for permission from parents, Kang said he doesn’t foresee the use of voice chain in Nex Playground games. Years down the road, Kang believes you’ll be able to control your TV as if it were a 65-inch iPad. It’s also possible there could be AI apps someday, but the company is betting on bringing joy to families in the meantime.
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