A Kinect‑style console outsold Xbox, and Nex’s CEO breaks down the strategy that made it a surprise hit — “Nintendo expanded the audience”

You may or may not have heard of the Nex Playground, a small Kinect-inspired, Wii-like device that has made headlines after outselling Xbox hardware in the U.S. during November. This is a particularly telling moment for console sales, given the impact of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Likely helped by weaker Xbox performance overall due to its lack of sales, Nex Playground edged past Xbox Series X|S to claim third place in units sold for the month, I’m sure in part thanks to its $250 price tag.

Devices like this serve as a stark reminder, at least to me, of how short-sighted Microsoft can sometimes be. The shutdown of Windows Phone, which could have strengthened Microsoft’s broader ecosystem efforts, and the eventual closure of Cortana, an early AI voice assistant, both stand out as missed opportunities that feel especially relevant in hindsight.

Nex CEO says Wii lessons and subscriptions are key

In an interview with The Game Business, the CEO of Nex, David Lee, said the company set out to learn from the rise of Nintendo’s Wii, but also from the challenges that followed. While Wii succeeded in bringing new audiences into gaming, Lee explained that many of those players only ever bought a handful of games, creating long-term Sustainability issues for the platform. Lee goes on to say:

Building on this, Lee added:

The Nex Playground has since found success with younger audiences, offering games based on popular IP such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, Fruit Ninja, and more.

Access to that library is handled through Play Pass, a subscription service that unlocks a growing catalogue of games for a recurring fee. The parallels with Xbox Game Pass are clear, although the focus here is firmly on families and younger players rather than a broader gaming audience.

Oh, how this could have been Kinect

As mentioned at the start, Microsoft’s ability to be short-sighted can be impressive at times. Here, it is easy to imagine an alternative reality where Microsoft repurposed Kinect toward a more family-oriented audience, expanding what an Xbox could be years before the phrase “this is an Xbox” was ever coined.

Instead, Kinect was discontinued in 2017, and we do not live in a world where Microsoft can see the future. With the benefit of hindsight, Nex Playground makes it hard not to wonder whether that decision was too hasty, and to add insult to injury, their vision aligns with just what Microsoft wants to do, with Lee adding:

As Nex’s CEO makes clear, the console’s success wasn’t an accident In an industry that often chases power over play, its Kinect‑like approach proved there’s still room for hardware that prioritizes inclusivity over specs.

Whether this strategy can be replicated in today’s market is another question entirely, but its unexpected victory over Xbox stands as a reminder that sometimes the biggest wins come from thinking outside the traditional console race.

Do you think Microsoft should have repurposed Kinect rather than discontinuing it, or did it make the right call at the time? Share your thoughts below, and let us know how you feel about Microsoft’s ongoing tendency to end support for hardware and software that later feels more relevant than ever.

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