Nex Playground Joins the Ranks of Consoles Facing Price Increases

The cost of gaming is on the rise, and soon even budget-friendly consoles will feel the pinch. The Nex Playground, a family-oriented device reminiscent of Kinect that made waves by outselling the Xbox during the last holiday season, will see its price jump to $299 starting April 1st, marking a $50 increase.

In a statement on the Nex Playground website, co-founder and CEO David Lee explained the reasons behind this price hike:
> “Over the past six months, the cost of key components — especially memory (DDR) and storage (eMMC) — has risen significantly across the industry. These increases are driven in part by the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, which is reshaping global supply and demand for these parts. You may have seen reports about the broader memory shortage.
> Like many consumer electronics companies, we’ve worked hard to absorb these cost increases for as long as possible. However, at current levels, it’s no longer something we can sustainably carry on our own.”

Nex isn’t the only player facing this challenge; all three major console manufacturers — Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft — also raised their hardware prices last year for similar reasons. Interestingly, Nex didn’t mention the impact of tariffs, which have affected the pricing of various gadgets, a situation that Nintendo is currently challenging in court.

While the Nex Playground is becoming pricier, the company assures that its “play pass” subscription service will maintain its current pricing. Given that one of the device’s main attractions is its affordability, this price increase appears to be a last resort. “We understand this increase may make Nex Playground less accessible for some families,” Lee acknowledged, “and we are truly sorry.”