Lego’s Smart Brick is here, and it transforms these new Star Wars sets

The Verge · Mar 1, 2026 · Collected from RSS

Summary

Lego's new Smart Brick is a pretty big deal. It packs a miniature computer, a microphone, and NFC tech into a classic 2×4 Lego brick, which can power all sorts of new experiences with select sets. It has so much promise that we awarded it "best in show" at CES 2026, and now, eight Star Wars-themed sets that support the Smart Brick (and include it, in some cases) are now available. Three of them include at least one Smart Brick, along with a charging cradle and cable, while the rest are merely "Smart Play compatible," meaning they're BYOB (bring your own brick). The interactivity of the NFC tags and the smart minifigurs won't be possible unl … Read the full story at The Verge.

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Cameron Faulkner is an editor covering deals and gaming hardware. He joined in 2018, and after a two-year stint at Polygon, he rejoined The Verge in May 2025.Lego’s new Smart Brick is a pretty big deal. It packs a miniature computer, a microphone, and NFC tech into a classic 2x4 Lego brick, which can power all sorts of new experiences with select sets. It has so much promise that we awarded it “best in show” at CES 2026, and now, eight Star Wars-themed sets that support the Smart Brick (and include it, in some cases) are now available.Three of them include at least one Smart Brick, along with a charging cradle and cable, while the rest are merely “Smart Play compatible,” meaning they’re BYOB (bring your own brick). The interactivity of the NFC tags and the smart minifigurs won’t be possible unless you already own one of Lego’s fancy, computerized bricks. The cheapest set to include a Smart Brick is Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, which costs $69.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Lego’s online storefront, while the priciest one — the Throne Room Duel & A-Wing set — is available from Amazon, Best Buy, and Lego for $159.99 with two Smart Bricks.Below, we’ve listed each set, along with useful info about the smart (and standard) components included.$90A 581-piece set that includes one Smart Brick, five NFC tags, and smart minifigs of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.$160A 962-piece set that includes two Smart Bricks, five NFC tags, and smart minifigs of Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker.$70A 473-piece set that includes one Smart Brick, one NFC tag, and a smart minifig of Darth Vader.$50A 347-piece set that includes two NFC tags, a smart Wicket minifig, plus standard AT-ST driver and Scout Trooper minifigs. No Smart Brick is included.$70A 440-piece set that includes two NFC tags, smart minifigs of Yoda and Luke Skywalker, plus a standard R2-D2 minifig. No Smart Brick is included.$80A 666-piece set that includes three NFC tags, two smart minifigures of Greedo and Obi-Wan Kenobi, plus three standard minifigs of a Sandtrooper and two cantina band members.$100An 885-piece set that includes four NFC tags and four smart minifigs of Chewbacca, Han Solo, C-3PO, and Luke Skywalker.$40A 215-piece set that includes one NFC tag, one smart minifig of Luke Skywalker, plus two standard minifigs of a Jawa and Gonk Droid.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Cameron Faulkner

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