I've tried the Nex Playground console - it's surprisingly more than just for families

It's quite satisfying being pleasantly surprised by something, isn't it? Going into something with an idea of what to expect but then finding something welcomely and positively unexpected.

That's what I've encountered after being hands-on with the Nex Playground console.

As it's a console more geared towards kids and young families, I was expecting a handful of games with high intensity gameplay and not too much in the way of longevity in those specific titles.

And while that is the case, there's actually also something for those who want interactive fitness games too.

A Nex Playground unit was provided by Nex for review, along with a Play Pass subscription.

Opening the Nex Playground box / Jake Brigstock, Indy100 & The Independent

The Nex Playground is a console where your body is the controller. You don't need anything else to play games except for a controller to select which games you want to play and set them up accordingly.

Opening up the box, you're greeted with the Nex Playground console, a power cable, a HDMI lead and a controller with batteries. It's really easy and simple to set up and you'll have it running in no time.

It's then really straightforward to follow the on-screen instructions, connect to WiFi, get a profile set up and get going. A message comes up saying it's better to play in your TV's game mode if you have it but it's not essential.

Tips also follow on what to wear so the camera can pick players up easily. The camera itself is actually really high quality and comes with a lens that can zoom out to be quite wide, easily capturing a full room, or zoom in during certain features and games.

Everything you get in the Nex Playground box / Jake Brigstock, Indy100 & The Independent

The vast majority of games you'll find are aimed at gamers of all ages. There are games certainly geared towards younger audiences, like Dora Star Explorer and Bluey Bust-a-Move, but there are also games for people of all ages such as Homerun Heroes and Bowling: Strike.

To note, the Nex Playground comes with five games as standard including Fruit Ninja, but you'll need to buy a Play Pass subscription to access them all. There are around 50-60 games with the subscription and there's also a Labs section to try out games that are not full releases but are in development.

All games can be accessed and set up using the controller provided but when you play them, all you need is you and any other players you want to play with. Your body acts as the controller, meaning there's no danger of letting a controller slip from your grip when you're mid move during a game, causing damage.

The catalogue of games are sorted into different genres. These include party games, action adventure, sports, music and dance and more.

Playing through a number of different games across each genre, the camera does an excellent job at picking up your movements and translating them into the game. The only game I had any sort of issues with it not doing what I wanted all the time was Basketball Knockout which didn't always register where exactly I was throwing my virtual basketball.

The Nex Playground console is really small, meaning it should fit easily in front of your TV / Jake Brigstock, Indy100 & The Independent

As mentioned, the games feel more like quickfire experiences than games that provide any real longevity but vying for the top spot on online leaderboards and unlocking more cosmetics and collectibles means there is some reward for games you really get into.

Having said that, given the games get you up on your feet and active, players might get worn out quite quickly so that quickfire, quick hit approach actually makes quite a bit of sense.

With online leaderboards, you don't actually use individual usernames but names you can create in each game from different options. Online safety is a huge focus for Nex with the console and that really comes through here as there are online elements such as this but without the risk of kids speaking to anyone or doing anything they perhaps shouldn't.

While we're on the topic, in Nex's terms and conditions, it's made clear your video data is not stored. With the power cable, there's also a magnetic lens cap that can be used when the console is off for peace of mind too.

Nex Playground comes with a magnetic lens cap attached to the power cable, meaning you can cover up the camera when finished using it for piece of mind / Jake Brigstock, Indy100 & The Independent

Back to the games and there's one genre I haven't yet mentioned - and that's because it's the one that's pleasantly surprised me and made me realised although kids and families are the focus, there is also something for people who don't have kids.

And that's fitness.

This section is much more geared towards adults with some family options. There are games such as Nexgym Fitness, Zumba Fitness Party and BoxFlow Fitness as well as Family Fitness Challenge.

And these games do have more depth. There are loads of different programmes or routines you can choose, some even have the option of offering you personalised plans depending on what you want to get out of it.

You can even incorporate your own set of free weights when using some of the apps too.

This completely took me by surprise. I was expecting some fitness elements to the Nex Playground given the nature of it, perhaps more on the gimmick side of things, but there's real depth to this where you can play these fitness games regularly and build up fitness in certain areas through dedicated, almost tailored plans.

It's a great option and makes it enticing for those who want to improve their fitness as well as for families.

Nex Playground is not just for families but for those who want to try out interactive fitness games too / Jake Brigstock, Indy100 & The Independent

Nex bosses have said the Nex Playground console is not a rival to existing home consoles but is an accompaniment to them.

They're spot on, the Nex Playground is not trying to be something it isn't and caters to family friendly audiences that may have been forgotten about to some extent as consoles have progressed and motion gaming has declined.

But it's successfully bringing back motion gaming and something for those audiences.

To note, to say it accompanies other consoles is a bit more of a difficult sell from bosses when taking its price point into account - it's not exactly cheap.

Although hardware prices are rising, the Nex Playground costs £269 ($299) and a year's subscription to Play Pass is £90 ($89) which you do need to get the most out of the console.

However if you want something different that's suitable for a much younger audience, you want games you can play along with your kids or even if you want to improve fitness, then the Nex Playground is a great option considering how well it does what it sets out to do.

Elsewhere from Indy100:

• Interview: Nex bosses reveal Playground console is bringing back a forgotten favourite
• New Xbox console revealed - everything we know so far

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