The surprise hit Nex Playground is the latest console to get a price hike

The Kinect-like device will cost $299 starting in April.The Kinect-like device will cost $299 starting in April.Everything about video games is getting more expensive, and soon that will include a budget-friendly console. The Nex Playground — a Kinect-like device aimed at families that made headlines by outselling the Xbox over the holidays last year — will cost $299 starting on April 1st, a $50 bump.In a statement on the Nex Playground site, co-founder and CEO David Lee cited a number of familiar reasons for the higher price point:Over the past six months, the cost of key components — especially memory (DDR) and storage (eMMC) — has risen significantly across the industry. These increases are driven in part by the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, which is reshaping global supply and demand for these parts. You may have seen reports about the broader memory shortage.Like many consumer electronics companies, we’ve worked hard to absorb these cost increases for as long as possible. However, at current levels, it’s no longer something we can sustainably carry on our own.Of course, Nex isn’t alone. A similar list of reasons also caused all three of the big console manufacturers — Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft — to raise hardware prices last year. One thing Nex didn’t specifically cite was Trump’s tariffs, which have impacted the price of all sorts of gadgets. Nintendo is currently suing the US government over them.While the Nex Playground itself is getting more expensive, the company says that its “play pass” subscription service will remain at the current price. Given that one of the major selling points of the device is its comparatively low price, it seems the hike was a last resort. “We understand this increase may make Nex Playground less accessible for some families,” Lee said, “and we are truly sorry.”A free daily digest of the news that matters most.This is the title for the native ad