Nex Playground maker secures over $150 million to expand globally

Chris Kerr,Senior Editor, News,GameDeveloper.com

September 17, 2026

schedule2 Min ReadImage via Nex

Nex, the company behind controller-free video game console Nex Playground, has raised over $150 million in equity and debt financing to accelerate its international expansion.

Nex Playground has sold over 1 million units worldwide, and made headlines last year after outselling the Xbox Series X | S in the United States during the 2025 holiday season.

The device is a controller-free, active play system geared towards families and young players. After finding a foothold in the United States, Nex brought its cuboid console to Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and Germany. It's latest cash injection will allow the company to facilitate a more comprehensive global rollout, with Europe and Asia representing key target regions.

Nex Playground offers owners access to a rolling roster of over 60 titles—including some based on notable licenses such as Bluey, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pac-Man—via a quarterly or annual subscription. At the time of writing, Nex is approaching 1 million subscribers and expects to surpass that milestone by the end of the calendar year.

"Families have timeless needs: to move, grow, connect, and have fun. The response to Nex Playground has shown us that active play can serve those needs at a meaningful scale," said David Lee, co-founder and CEO of Nex.

"We are building Nex to be a 100-year company. This investment gives us the resources to bring active play to millions more families around the world, and Jeff and Bing bring extraordinary experience building enduring gaming and technology companies. I’m thrilled to have them with us for this next chapter."

The financing round includes a Series E led by Baillie Gifford and BAI Capital, with participation from NBA Investments, Logitech, Medici Capital Partners, and the Raine Group, alongside a new credit facility with JPMorgan. In additional, Nex has also bolstered its leadership team with the appointment of former Niantic, Zynga, and EA executive Jeff Shouger as its new chief financial officer.

"Nex has reached an exciting point in its evolution, with strong consumer adoption, a growing content ecosystem of guilt-free content that is fun, active and good for families, and significant opportunity still ahead," said Shouger. "I've spent much of my career helping gaming and technology companies navigate periods of growth and scale, and I’m excited to work with David and the team to build an enduring global business."

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About the Author

Chris Kerr

Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton.

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