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Dude Perfect Trickshot Challenge launches exclusively on Nex Playground. The Associated Press Sep 9, 2026, 4:47 PM Designed exclusively for Nex Playground, the game brings the Dudes' signature mix of sports, competition, and over-the-top challenges into the living room, putting players at the center of the action as they aim, toss, and compete their way through increasingly difficult trick shots. SAN FRANCISCO-(BUSINESS WIRE)-Sep 9, 2026- Nex, maker of Nex Playground, the viral-hit active play system that gets families moving together, today launched Dude Perfect Trickshot Challenge(TM), an all-new motion-controlled game created in collaboration with Dude Perfect, the leading creator-led entertainment company behind some of the internet's most iconic trick shots. Designed exclusively for Nex Playground, the game brings the Dudes' signature mix of sports, competition, and over-the-top challenges into the living room, putting players at the center of the action as they aim, toss, and compete their way through increasingly difficult trick shots. Designed exclusively for Nex Playground, the game brings the Dudes' signature mix of sports, competition, and over-the-top challenges into the living room, putting players at the center of the action as they aim, toss, and compete their way through increasingly difficult trick shots. With no controllers required, players use their body movements to physically aim and throw basketballs, ping-pong balls, and more projectiles toward their targets. Built for quick attempts and plenty of "one more try" moments, Dude Perfect Trickshot Challenge progresses from approachable early levels to increasingly difficult challenges, culminating in "impossible" trick shots for players looking to test their skills. Along the way, players can also complete quests to unlock collectibles and customization options. Players can take on challenges across a variety of Dude Perfect-inspired environments and level types, including: * Triple Baskets: Work up to a multi-basket trick shot by sinking shots into basketball rims of increasing heights before taking on moving baskets * No Parking: Launch shots from a rooftop into a parking lot filled with baskets, drones, dumpsters, barrels, cars, and tires, with plenty of opportunities for creative ricochets * Impossible Golf: Take on mini-golf trick shots at Dude's Gym, chasing holes-in-one and aiming for moving golf carts, barrels, and other unconventional targets * RC Pong: Put timing and accuracy to the test by hitting an RC car target and moving it through a parking-lot circuit before running out of throws "Dude Perfect has built an incredible community around making sports fun, creative, and accessible, and that same spirit comes through in every challenge in this game," said David Lee, co-founder and CEO of Nex. "With Nex Playground, fans aren't just watching an incredible trick shot happen - they get to step up, take the shot themselves, and keep moving until they nail it." "Dude Perfect has always been about inspiring play," said Scott Winkler, Head of Commercial Partnerships at Dude Perfect. "When fans watch our content, they naturally want to replicate the trick shots or games they see. This partnership with Nex lets fans step into our world and experience it firsthand in a way that's never been possible before. We're incredibly excited to bring this experience to our fans and families everywhere." The launch of Dude Perfect Trickshot Challenge follows Nex's participation in Dude Perfect's Summer 2026 Squad Games Tour, where fans had the opportunity to experience Nex Playground throughout the summer. The new game also arrives as Nex continues to bring its active play platform to more families worldwide, following Nex Playground's recent launch in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and the announcement of its expansion into Germany later this year. Players can experience Dude Perfect Trickshot Challenge exclusively on Nex Playground through Play Pass, the content subscription service that unlocks the full catalog of games and experiences on Nex Playground. Play Pass is sold separately and can be added at any time. To learn more, visit nexplayground.com. Nex is on a mission to connect families and friends through active play. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion. Its award-winning active play system, Nex Playground, is the only controller-free console built specifically for kids and families with safety and privacy at the core of its design. Nex Playground is kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and a member of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) in the U.S. In the U.K., Nex Playground aligns with GDPR requirements, earning PEGI 3 age ratings on the included starter bundle. Motion-tracking data and processing stay local to the device, and every system includes a built-in camera cover. Nex Playground with Play Pass features a growing catalog of 60+ active games, from sports to dance, fitness, and educational experiences, including Nex Originals and collaborations with partners such as Paramount, Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, TIME's Best Inventions, and Parents' Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards. Nex Playground is available at Amazon, Best Buy(R), Target(R), Walmart(R), Costco, Sam's Club(R), and TikTok Shop, online and select retail stores in the U.S. and Canada, and is available in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland at Amazon U.K., Argos, and Smyths Toys. To learn more, visit nexplayground.com or follow the company on Instagram and Facebook. About Dude Perfect Dude Perfect is the leading creator-led entertainment company focused on family-friendly sports and lifestyle content. Founded in 2009 by five college friends - Tyler Toney, Cory Cotton, Coby Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, and Cody Jones - making sports trickshot videos, Dude Perfect's YouTube channel has become one of the biggest sports accounts on YouTube with more than 62 million subscribers. The group has garnered more than 18 billion views across platforms, and has featured celebrities and athletes like Steph Curry, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Luka Doncic, Caitlin Clark, CeeDee Lamb, and non-athlete celebrities like Paul Rudd and Nate Bargatze. Dallas-based Dude Perfect has since expanded into a diversified media business across video content, popular simulcasts for professional sports like the NFL on Amazon, a best-selling toy in Walmart, and live tours. Dude Perfect(R), Dude Perfect Trickshot Challenge(TM), and the Dude Perfect logo are trademarks of Dude Perfect, LLC. [email protected] KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA NORTH AMERICA UNITED STATES IRELAND UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PRESCHOOL OTHER CONSUMER HOME GOODS RETAIL TEENS OTHER ENTERTAINMENT CHILDREN FAMILY ONLINE RETAIL ELECTRONIC GAMES CONSUMER CONSUMER ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY ENTERTAINMENT OTHER RETAIL GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT PRIMARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION PUB: 09/09/2026 03:45 PM/DISC: 09/09/2026 03:47 PM You May Also Like

gamescom 2026: Nex Playground three years on - The little cube that could. Published Sep 6, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Linda Güster is a Contributor at DualShockers and a German, UK-based gaming journalist specializing in video games, esports, industry analysis, features, lists, reviews, interviews, and news. She has been writing professionally since 2020 and began covering video games and esports in 2025, turning a lifelong passion into her professional focus. Before joining DualShockers, Linda worked as content lead for Esports Insider DACH and The Escapist Magazine Germany. She previously worked in software engineering and digital media, giving her a strong technical background and the ability to explain complex systems clearly. Across her career, she has written thousands of news pieces and covered gaming culture, esports, technology, and broader industry developments. The Nex Playground is not for me. Technically. I am not a parent, I am not six years old, and I did not walk onto the gamescom demo floor thinking I was about to have a particularly revelatory experience with a motion-controlled family gaming device. The target audience for this small cube that sits on your mantle and turns your living room into an active play space is families with young children, and I am not that. I want to be clear about all of this, because what happened next was unexpected. Three years after launch, Nex Playground has sold over a million units, is expanding into Germany later this year, and is announcing partnerships with SEGA, Bandai Namco, and HYBE. It has a catalog of over 60 games available through its Play Pass subscription, with licensed content ranging from Bluey and Peppa Pig to Avatar: The Last Airbender, TMNT, and Zumba. It is, by any reasonable measure, doing well for a device that asks families to wave their arms around in their living rooms with no controller in sight. And at gamescom, I finally understood why. What Nex Playground is. For those who haven't encountered it: Nex Playground is a small, camera-equipped cube that connects to your TV via HDMI and uses motion tracking to let up to four players play games simultaneously with no controllers, no trackers, just their own bodies. It ships with five games - Fruit Ninja, Whac-a-Mole, Go Keeper, Party Fowl, and Starri - and a separate Play Pass subscription unlocks the full catalog for $89 a year. Every piece of content on the platform is rated PEGI 3 or equivalent, motion tracking data is never stored or processed in the cloud, and there are no ads or in-app purchases anywhere. For a parent worried about what their child is engaging with on a screen, the value proposition is about as clean as it gets. The Germany launch coming before the end of 2026, with retail rollout and additional European markets following in 2027, represents the company's most significant international expansion to date. At gamescom, the focus was on showing consumers what the platform looks like in practice, and on announcing the partnerships that are going to define its next phase. The new partnerships. PAC-MAN arrives on Nex Playground this autumn through a new licensing deal with Bandai Namco, reimagined as a physically active experience where players move, dodge, and chase together in the living room. The idea of getting your body into the ghost-avoiding business is charming, and PAC-MAN's cross-generational recognition makes it an obvious fit for a platform built around the whole family playing at once. SEGA's Sonic Forces: Rival Rush is also coming, adding another globally recognizable name to a catalog that has been steadily building this kind of recognition across its licensed titles. The most interesting announcement is the HYBE partnership, which brings a BTS-branded co-edition of Starri - the platform's rhythm game - to the device later this year. It's the first dedicated artist experience on the platform, and it says something about where Nex thinks Starri can go beyond the children's entertainment bracket. BTS's audience spans age ranges in a way that most of the platform's existing licensed content doesn't, and a rhythm game built around their music is a deliberate signal that there's a wider demographic in play here than the primary family marketing might suggest. About Starri. I need to talk about Starri, because I was not prepared for it. The rhythm game has undertones of Beat Saber - you're moving your body to hit incoming targets in time with the music, using the camera to track your movements - and on its own that's pleasant enough for a family device. But the song catalog is something else entirely. Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls. I stood there at a gamescom demo station, visibly surprised, and had an excellent time in a way I had not budgeted for. The catalog is genuinely well-curated for people who are, shall Dualshockers say, older than the device's primary marketing target, and the BTS expansion is only going to push that further. A family gaming device that parents will actually enjoy using alongside their children is a significantly better proposition than one that parents tolerate while their kids have fun. Starri seems to understand that, and the song selection is doing more for that understanding than any feature list could. Three years in, and it has found its footing. Nex Playground launched in a category that didn't really exist before it arrived. The Kinect was a solid attempt, if it had any more development support from Microsoft itself, but three years after its release, the Nex Playground has defined that category fairly convincingly. A million units sold, a growing licensed catalog, expansion into new markets, and partnerships with some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world - the trajectory is clear. The Quiet Basketball accessory, developed internally after years of working on HomeCourt, adds a physical component that the platform's basketball content can now actually interact with, extending the concept beyond the screen in a direction that makes sense for the device's active play philosophy. The catalog is genuinely well-curated for people who are, shall Dualshockers say, older than the device's primary marketing target, and the BTS expansion is only going to push that further. Whether you're a parent looking for screen time that involves actual movement, or someone who ends up at a gamescom demo station and finds themselves genuinely enjoying a rhythm game because the Goo Goo Dolls came on - Nex Playground at three years old is a more interesting device than it might appear from the outside. The catalog is there. The partnerships are there. The expansion into Germany and beyond suggests the company believes the hard part is done, and that growth is next. Nex Playground. * Brand - Nex * Original Release Date - December 1, 2023 * Original MSRP (USD) - $299 * Operating System - Play OS (Android) * Processor - Amlogic A311D2-NOD (SoC) / Mail-G52 MC4 (GPU) * Resolution - Up to 4K