Nex Playground is getting a full-body BTS rhythm game

Nex has announced a partnership with HYBE to bring a BTS-themed music experience to the Nex Playground console later this year. The update will arrive as a co-branded edition of Starri, the platform's flagship rhythm game, and relies entirely on the console's camera-based motion tracking to register player movements.

The Nex Playground is one of our most used consoles in our household. If you missed its launch back in December 2023, the $299 device is a modern spiritual successor to the Xbox Kinect. It uses a wide-angle camera and an onboard AI processor to track your body movements without requiring any physical controllers. Nex was founded in 2017 by a team of former Apple engineers. Their background in mobile hardware optimization shows in how well the Playground tracks multiple people in a messy living room. You just stand in front of your television and wave your arms around.

Flailing to the beat

Starri has been around for a few years. Nex originally released it for iOS and Android, with the company stating a September 2022 launch, followed by PC and Mac ports in October 2023. The gameplay involves slashing at incoming notes and catching beats as they fly across the screen. It plays a lot like Beat Saber, just without the VR headset. Moving it to a dedicated television console made sense. It quickly became the standout title for the Playground system.

This BTS collaboration is the first time Nex has created a dedicated, co-branded version of the game. According to Nex, players will interact with the group's tracks through full-body gameplay designed for the living room.

Nex president Tom Kang noted the obvious appeal of combining K-pop with physical movement. "Our partnership with HYBE creates a unique experience that celebrates the energy, creativity, and cultural impact of BTS while bringing all ages together through Starri," Kang said.

Beyond mobile spin-offs

HYBE is best known as the entertainment company behind BTS. They have also been steadily building a video game portfolio over the last few years. The company rebranded from Big Hit Entertainment in 2021 and established a dedicated gaming subsidiary in April 2022 to handle interactive projects. That division raised over $100 million in funding before recently rebranding to DRIMAGE in July 2025. They have already published mobile titles like Rhythm Hive and BTS Island: In the SEOM. This project is a distinct shift into dedicated motion hardware.

Partnering with Nex puts the band's catalog into an active play environment. The motion-tracking technology requires players to actually move to the choreography, or at least attempt to keep up with the rhythm tracks.

$299 for the console

The BTS update is scheduled to launch later in 2026. Anyone wanting to play it will need the base hardware. The Nex Playground console currently retails for $299.

Accessing the full library of games on the system also requires a subscription. Nex charges $89 annually for a 12-month Play Pass, or $49 for a three-month tier. The company has not yet clarified if the BTS edition of Starri will be included in the standard Play Pass subscription or if it will require a separate purchase.

Motion gaming has had a strange trajectory since the peak of the Nintendo Wii and the original Kinect. Most major publishers abandoned the concept entirely. Nex picked up the idea, stripped out the need for complex hardware setups, and aimed it squarely at families. Adding one of the biggest pop groups in the world to their library is a massive acquisition for a niche platform.