{"rewrite":{"id":"r_65c894dc3f652eb70806e03d","clusterId":"c_990853b601c7442c001fbdaa","slug":"nex-playground-heads-to-japan-in-2027-with-sega-and-bandai-namco-titles","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"Nex Playground Heads to Japan in 2027 with Sega and Bandai Namco Titles","summary":"Nex will launch its controller-free console Nex Playground in Japan in 2027, the company said at Tokyo Game Show 2026. The device uses a built-in camera and on-device motion tracking, with no cloud processing, so players control games by moving their bodies. Nex has established a Japanese subsidiary, Nex Japan LLC, and appointed Emiko Yamamoto as its general manager. Yamamoto previously worked at Sega, Walt Disney Japan, and Amazon Games. Ahead of the Japan launch, Sega will release Sonic Forces: Rival Rush and Bandai Namco Entertainment will release Pac-Man in Japan this fall. The console has been on sale in North America since late 2023 and is sold at more than 7,000 retail stores there. In the US, the unit costs $299 with five games included, and the Play Pass subscription is $49 for three months or $89 for a year.","whyItMatters":"Nex is treating Japan as a localization problem rather than a port: Yamamoto said the Japanese lineup will change from the US one, and Kang said the company is developing content with Japanese IP and a Japanese developer, which makes the region a content market rather than just a sales territory.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe Japan version will get different content from the North American library. Yamamoto said the company will increase Japan-oriented titles and prioritize localizing titles popular in Japan, expanding the lineup in stages.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNex does not sell games individually. Purchases come with five built-in titles, and the Play Pass subscription unlocks more than 60 games that Nex publishes itself. Kang said the company is considering Japan-specific pricing for both the hardware and the subscription.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe rollout will be gradual. Yamamoto said the company wants to work with electronics retailers and e-commerce sites but will not expand on a large scale from the start. Demo play at retail is part of the plan, following the North American model where Nex Playground is sold in more than 7,000 stores.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLee said the company is developing games that do not require jumping, citing concern about noise for players in apartments and about older players.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Nex Playground's first Japanese titles arrive from Sega and Bandai Namco this fall, months before the console itself lands in 2027. The software is doing the market entry ahead of the hardware.","twitterPost":"Sega and Bandai Namco ship Nex Playground titles this fall; the console arrives in Japan in 2027. Software goes first.","threadsPost":"Nex Playground's Japan plan runs on Sega and Bandai Namco titles this fall, while the console itself doesn't land until 2027. The games arrive months ahead of the hardware they run on, a rollout order that leaves the platform waiting on its own software.","newsletterBlurb":"Nex is bringing its camera-based Nex Playground console to Japan in 2027 and has set up a Japanese subsidiary led by former Sega, Disney, and Amazon Games staffer Emiko Yamamoto. Sega and Bandai Namco will release Sonic and Pac-Man titles for the system in Japan this fall. The company says the Japanese game lineup will differ from the North American one.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/reportjp/nex-20260923-469453/\",\"title\":\"Controller-Free Console 'Nex Playground' Heads to Japan: Playing 'Sonic' and 'Pac-Man' with Your Whole Body Turns Familiar Games into Something Else\"},{\"source\":\"GameBusiness.jp\",\"url\":\"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/09/24/28131.html\",\"title\":\"North American Hit Motion-Controlled Console 'Nex Playground' to Enter Japan in 2027 - Interview on Japan Strategy [TGS2026]\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/25/172733.html\",\"title\":\"North America Hit Motion-Controlled Console 'Nex Playground' to Enter Japan in 2027 - Interview on Japan Strategy [TGS2026]\"},{\"source\":\"GameBusiness.jp\",\"url\":\"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/09/25/28137.html\",\"title\":\"Nex Establishes Japanese Subsidiary for Nex Playground Japan Launch - Emiko Yamamoto Appointed GM\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":14777,"outputTokens":1112,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1791038558,"createdAt":"2026-10-03T14:31:41.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:33:23.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-03T14:33:23.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_990853b601c7442c001fbdaa","canonicalTitle":"コントローラー不要ゲーム機「Nex Playground」日本上陸へ。『ソニック』『パックマン』を“全身”で遊んだら、知っているゲームが別物に","representativeArticleId":"a_48d4386e555e13c98b0b0cf8","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Nex Playground\",\"Sonic\",\"Pac-Man\"],\"studios\":[\"Nex\"],\"people\":[\"David Lee\",\"Emiko Yamamoto\"],\"type\":\"business\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-23T02:32:53.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-25T05:34:32.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-03T14:33:20.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/reportjp/nex-20260923-469453/","title":"コントローラー不要ゲーム機「Nex Playground」日本上陸へ。『ソニック』『パックマン』を“全身”で遊んだら、知っているゲームが別物に"},{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/09/25/28137.html","title":"『Nex Playground』日本展開に向けNexが日本法人設立―山本恵美子氏がGM就任"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/25/172733.html","title":"北米でヒットの体感型ゲーム機『Nex Playground』、2027年日本進出へ―日本戦略を聞く【TGS2026】"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Nex Playground","Sonic","Pac-Man"],"studios":["Nex"],"people":["David Lee","Emiko Yamamoto"],"type":"business","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Nex plans to launch the Nex Playground controller-free console in Japan in 2027.","Nex established a Japanese subsidiary, Nex Japan LLC, and appointed Emiko Yamamoto as general manager.","Sega will release Sonic Forces: Rival Rush and Bandai Namco Entertainment will release Pac-Man for Nex Playground in Japan this fall.","Nex Playground costs $299 in the United States with five games included, and the Play Pass subscription costs $49 for three months or $89 for a year.","Nex Playground has been on sale in North America since late 2023 and is sold at more than 7,000 retail stores there."]}