Lego has introduced ‘smart bricks’ with built-in sound and light effects for its Star Wars-themed sets at the CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. The new bricks, shaped like standard two-by-four Lego pieces, contain a custom-made chip smaller than a single Lego stud and are designed to react to play movements.
The smart bricks will feature in three sets, including Luke Skywalker’s X-wing fighter and Darth Vader’s TIE fighter. When installed, they produce appropriate sounds such as ‘woosh’ noises for spaceflight and the bleeps of R2D2. If two smart bricks are placed in opposing craft, they communicate to determine hits and even play music, such as The Imperial March during play.
Pricing for the sets starts at £59.99 for Vader’s TIE fighter and £79.99 for Skywalker’s X-wing with a smart Luke mini-figure. However, some play experts and fans have criticised the move, arguing it undermines children’s imagination. One Reddit user said, ‘I can go swoosh and pew-pew too,’ while another questioned whether non-smart bricks are now ‘stupid bricks’.
Lego’s senior vice president Tom Donaldson defended the technology, saying it ‘brings creativity, technology and storytelling together to make building worlds and stories even more engaging, and all without a screen’. The launch comes as screen-based games like Roblox, with about 150 million daily users, increasingly compete for children’s attention.
