Nex Playground outshines the PS5 and Xbox. A console that hardly anyone has heard of has just jumped onto the sales podium in the USA!

Sounds like a joke, but these are official figures from Circana (formerly NPD). In the week ending 22 November 2025, Nex Playground – a small, cube-shaped console based on motion control – sold more units in the USA than any model of PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.

The data was published on BlueSky by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella. The ranking includes the best-selling single SKUs, meaning specific hardware variants, rather than the total sales of entire console families. And in this context, Nex Playground jumped to second place.

Best-selling console SKUs in the USA (week ending 22 November 2025):

1. Nintendo Switch 2 – Mario Kart World Bundle

2. Nex Playground Interactive Gaming System

3. PS5 Slim Digital Edition 1 TB

It's worth noting: this doesn't mean that Nex Playground is overall selling better than the PS5. It simply surpassed every single variant of the PS5 and Xbox, of which there are many on the market (different bundles, disk sizes, limited editions). However, this is not the first instance of such a case. During Amazon Prime Day in July, Nex Playground also outperformed the most popular PlayStation models in monthly sales on this platform.

What is Nex Playground, really?

For many players, the name still sounds exotic, but the console is mainly aimed at families and casual users. From a technical point of view, it is a spiritual successor to the Xbox Kinect:

• controlled by a full-body motion tracking camera,

• no traditional controllers,

• games based on physical interaction and activity,

• five pre-installed titles,

• access to a library of additional games through the Play Pass subscription.

Play Pass prices:

• 49 USD for 3 months,

• 89 USD for a year.

It is the simplicity of use and low entry threshold that have made the hardware surprisingly successful during promotional periods.

The competition also discounted the gear, but…

In the week analysed:

• Bundle Switch 2 with Mario Kart World was cheaper by 50 USD in some stores (but not during the observed period).

• PS5 Slim saw its first discounts since November 20, so the promotions included the end of the week.

Nevertheless, Nex Playground managed to position itself between the Switch and PlayStation and surprisingly secured a strong position.

Why is it important?

The console market rarely sees new brands that can outpace sales of the biggest players, even in the short term. The case of Nex Playground shows that:

• the "active motion games" segment still has potential,

• consumers are eager to try something different from traditional consoles,

• individual SKUs can surpass the most recognisable models if they hit at the right moment.

Will Nex Playground become a permanent player in the market? That remains to be seen, but the year 2025 has an exceptionally good start for this brand.