The annual CES technology trade show isn’t about phones, but that doesn’t stop it from being one to watch for tech fans.
This year, my most anticipated announcement comes from an unlikely company, as its products have traditionally been distinctly low-tech.
For the first time, Lego will hold a CES 2026 press conference, and I can’t wait to see what it intends to show off.
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Not a traditional tech firm
Trying something new
The Lego Group has its press conference scheduled for January 5 at 10:00 PT, the day before the official opening of CES 2026, and the same day as announcements from LG, Qualcomm, Hisense, AMD, and Nvidia.
The difference is, outside of Lego, they are all expected CES attendees, and even those only vaguely familiar with each brand’s core business will still have a general idea of what will be shown.
It’s a fairly safe bet Nvidia’s going to talk about AI and graphics cards, and LG’s going to talk about smart home and TVs, for example.
Lego makes toys and collectibles based on building bricks, and while its console and mobile video games are well-known, it has almost no other direct connection to the tech world.
So what’s it doing at CES?
Build smarter
Smart Play is coming
Lego itself has not shared any information about its plan for CES 2026 at the time of writing.
There’s some speculation around it launching new Formula One Lego models at the show, and as Las Vegas — where CES is held each year — also hosts a Formula One Grand Prix, it’s certainly possible.
However, Lego has already released sets related to Formula One, and because CES is not a toy show, any new sets will need to have a strong tech connection to make them interesting to the media.
This is where the rumored Smart Play sets come in.
For several months, rumors have gathered around an overhaul of the 2026 Lego range, with many popular sets in the Star Wars, Technic, City, and other collections gaining a connected Smart Brick and Minifigures with interactive elements.
Rumors point to the Smart Play system using sensors and scannable tags to activate lights, sound effects, and other interactive play elements, like sirens in a City fire station, and glowing lightsabers in a Star Wars battle scene.
It’s potentially an evolution of the Lego Super Mario sets, which have a dedicated mobile app, and the oversized figures feature a small screen and built-in sensors, ready to interact with Lego environments.
Is this a good thing?
Collectors aren’t on board yet
Lego’s Smart Play system will inevitably require an app, and the sets are expected to include a wireless charger to recharge the Smart Brick and presumably, the connected Minifigures.
It wouldn’t be a modern product without AI being used somewhere, for something too.
The first Smart Play sets are expected to launch in March 2026, and if the system turns out to be as tech-focused as rumors suggest, CES makes sense as the event to launch it.
However, Lego’s presence will be about more than just holding a glitzy press conference.
The Smart Play system is likely to be a daring departure from Lego’s established standard sets, and concern about the designs, cost, and long-term playability of Smart Play sets is already rife in Lego fandom and the wider toy community.
Lego may make CES fun
Less AI, more bricks
Hardcore adult Lego collectors (who Lego has been romancing for years) are unlikely to be the target audience.
So, Lego will want to put the Smart Play system in front of media more interested in the tech than the toy, who may have a direct line to tech-savvy audiences who have not thought much about Lego before, simply because it wasn’t techy enough.
It makes sense (a smart play, if you’ll forgive the pun), and for all its expensive Lego Star Wars sets aimed at collectors, at its heart, Lego is a toy brand.
While collectors and keen adult builders may not welcome the addition of connected tech, plenty of kids will love it.
Whatever Lego has planned, and just how tech-heavy the rumored Smart Play system is, I’m really intrigued to see its CES 2026 press conference.
Why? Lego is fun, and the vast majority of events at CES are a bit dull, so I really want its 45-minute show to bring some of the excitement and childlike glee that are missing from the hours of AI and smart-washing machine talk that will follow it.