I’m Joshua Hanlon from Beyond the Brick, and in this video I’m on the show floor at CES in Las Vegas getting a hands-on explanation of the new LEGO Star Wars Smart Play system. I talk with Michael Aqua, the global head of product for LEGO Star Wars, as he walks me through how the Smart Brick works inside the new X-wing and how it recognizes what you’ve built using smart tags—plus how it can also read “smart” characters like Luke Skywalker (and a tagged R2-D2) to change the play experience. The big takeaway: this isn’t just a sound brick playing canned audio. The sounds are generated by an onboard synthesizer, and the brick responds to how you move—faster motion changes the sound, and specific actions trigger blasters and other effects. We also look at how the TIE fighter triggers differently than the X-wing, why the sets still function as great LEGO Star Wars builds even without the Smart Brick, and what LEGO did to reduce friction for kids with wireless charging. The chargers included with the initial wave can charge two bricks, and LEGO says you can get well over an hour of play before recharging.