Nex Playground: The Popularity of Its ‘AI Console’ Explained

Main Points

• Innovation: The Nex Playground uses AI and computer vision to create interactive gaming experiences.
• Market Success: It outsold Xbox in November, indicating strong consumer interest.
• Development Journey: CEO David Lee transitioned from a basketball tracking app to a gaming console.
• Game Access: The Nex PlayPass subscription offers various new games for users.

Over the past two years, the Nex Playground has carved out a niche for itself with kids and parents alike. It’s a small box that sits in front of your TV and uses a camera, along with computer vision AI processing, to track your movement for interactive games. Think of it like a simplified version of Microsoft’s Kinect (RIP), with a bit of the local multiplayer we see from the original Wii. In this bonus episode, we chat with David Lee, Nex’s CEO and co-founder, about how he went from building a basketball tracking app to one of the most intriguing gaming console alternatives on the market. (The Nex Playground even managed to outsell Xbox in November!)

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Topics

• What led to the development of the Nex Playground? — 2:04

• Who helped design and build the console? — 8:36

• Questions about the Nex PlayPass subscription and other ways to get new games — 13:23

• How did Nex convince major brands to build for Nex Playground? — 19:10

Credits

Host: Devindra Hardawar
Guest: David Lee, CEO and co-founder of Nex
Producer: Devindra Hardawar
Music: Dale North