Nex Playground, 2025’s hottest toy, is still buyable at Christmas with a twist

Nex Playground has objectively shaken up the console market. During Black Friday weekend in November, the motion-gaming console surged past Xbox in U.S. weekly hardware sales, an upset that instantly reframed Nex as a 2026 gaming industry player.

That kind of momentum would normally spell doom for last-minute shoppers, and, well, it has over the last week for anyone hoping to get one before Christmas. But here’s a slight twist: There’s still a chance to get a Nex Playground right now — and it’ll actually arrive before the new year.

According to sources familiar with Nex’s distribution, units are actively being restocked across major retailers for the normal price of $249.99, including at Amazon and big-box stores websites. Most listings’ current shipping estimates suggest arrivals by Sunday, Dec. 28.

That demand spike didn’t come out of nowhere. A temporary $199 Black Friday price cut helped propel Nex Playground ahead of Xbox, whose hardware pricing remained unchanged — and whose attitude seemed not to give much of a fart as Microsoft looks forward to the future. The discount pushed Nex into second- and third-place weekly hardware rankings in late November, per Circana data. The company is now on track to sell roughly 600,000 units in 2025.

We playtested the Nex way back in August, and honestly, it’s an ideal setup for families. Nex Playground is a small, cube-shaped console that uses a wide-angle camera to track full-body motion, reviving the spirit of Wii activity gaming without the awkwardness of Kinect-style setups. It’s loaded with accessible party games, rhythm challenges, light fitness experiences, and kid-friendly licensed content, all designed for energetic play sessions that work across younger age groups. It’s not a replacement for Xbox or PlayStation — if anything Nex is lacking in crossover titles that will keep adult attention — but as a digital arcade, it’s a smart addition to the modern living room.

Predictably, scarcity has fueled a booming resale market. eBay listings for Nex Playground regularly hit double or even triple retail price in December. But with retail stock stabilizing, it seems worth noting that people still gunning to get one should not shell out overpriced asks at the current moment.

Of course, this could all change. Considering how many people have personally texted me asking where they could get one this Christmas, the units will likely fly off shelves quickly.

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