The Nex Playground is 'an excellent addition to games night' – my kids loved it

The pastel box which sits neatly in front of the television is pleasingly teeny – and pretty. The Nex Playground follows a similar model to the immensely popular Nintendo Wii, but without the controllers, instead using a wide-angle lens and AI-powered tracking activated by your body’s movements. It’s quick and easy to set up; in 10 minutes we were ready to go. There is a remote, but it’s only really needed for scrolling through the games. It promises a secure gaming environment – no ads, no mature content, no in-app purchases. You could happily leave your children playing with it knowing that it’s a closed ecosystem. None of your embarrassing dance moves are stored under the normal “to improve the tech” justification. The console retails at £269, but comes with only five games, including Whac-a-Mole and Fruit Ninja. The subscription to unlock a further 60 games is £90 a year. Worth it? In America, they think so — Nex are on track to surpass one million units sold in North America. ★★★★★Dimensions: 7.6 x 7.6 x 7.6cmConnection: HDMIProcessor Arm: Cortex A-Series SoC