One of the big news stories to come out of last year’s Black Friday shopping event was how the plucky little Nex Playground console managed to outsell established industry heavyweights like the Xbox. In fact, reports suggest that only the PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 sold more than the Nex Playground during the annual sale.

Unsurprisingly given its popularity in the US, the Nex Playground is now making the journey across the pond, launching on June 22 in the UK. Considerably cheaper than rival consoles like the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, the family-friendly device is currently available to pre-order from Argos for £269.99, where it’s listed as ‘popular’ and ‘in-demand’ due to interest from fans. It’s also available to pre-order from Smyths and Amazon for the same price.

In case you haven’t heard of it, the Nex Playground is kind of like a cross between the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect.

It’s a dinky little cube with a built-in camera for playing motion controlled games like Fruit Ninja.

While it comes with a remote for navigating the menu and entering apps, games are primarily controlled using arms, legs, heads and hips, barring one or two exceptions.

While the hands-free gaming element and built-in camera feel like an evolution of Xbox Kinect, the ease of use and general accessibility conjures up memories of playing bowling or tennis on the original Wii.

Needless to say, there is a bowling game available on the Nex Playground, alongside other playable sports like tennis, baseball, hockey and basketball.

It also features a selection of rhythm games and fitness apps, as well as general arcade-style titles and even the odd puzzler.

Perhaps most extensive of all, however, are the licensed games featuring the likes of Peppa Pig, Elmo and Bluey that are aimed at younger children.

While it does have party potential for grown ups, this is very much aimed at families and kids, so maybe don’t pack away your PS5 just yet.

Speaking of games, the console comes with five built-in titles, including Fruit Ninja, Starri, Whac-a-Mole, Go Keeper and Party Fowl.

If you want to play the other games available for the system, you can either stump up £45 for a three-month Play Pass subscription, or £90 for a 12-month subscription.

The Play Pass gives you access to everything, including all future new game releases and any content updates.

Games can’t be purchased individually, making the Play Pass the only way to access the Nex Playground library.