Whether you’re actually a kid or just a kid at heart, there’s never been a better time to love amazing toys like the ones we cover at The Verge. Big toymakers are capitalizing on adults’ disposable income and a recent wave of nostalgia for the ‘80s — the heyday of toys — like never before. Meanwhile, crowdfunding and 3D printers are letting tiny startups get in on the action as well.
Julia Goldin and Tom Donaldson explain what the sensor-packed Smart Play initiative means for Lego.
Starting with Lego Star Wars.
The fan-favorite Transformer uses 28 servo motors to convert from robot mode to a Walkman replica that functions as a Bluetooth speaker and voice recorder, while Frank Welker recorded new lines for the robot in the character’s iconic synthesized voice. Soundwave is now available for preorder for $1,399, temporarily discounted to $999.
Following a set released in 2019 that could be flipped upside down, Lego has announced a new Stranger Things set coinciding with the final season getting underway. It’s a 2,593-piece, $299.99 recreation of the Creel House that will come with 13 minifigures when it’s available starting on January 4th, 2026.
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The answer is probably anyone. Or at least anyone who didn’t work for FoloToy, the makers of Kumma, a $99 AI-enabled plushie that’s now been pulled from shelves after researchers at the US PIRG Education Fund got the bear to discuss sexually explicit topics, offer advice on where to find knives, and give instructions on lighting matches. In the report, researchers said:
We were surprised to find how quickly Kumma would take a single sexual topic we introduced into the conversation and run with it, simultaneously escalating in graphic detail while introducing new sexual concepts of its own.
After teaming with Bandai Namco for a collection of tiny camera replicas only available in Japanese gashapon machines last year, Nikon is back with tiny keychain versions of the vintage Nikon 28Ti and 35Ti, the Nikon Z FC, the D5500, the Coolpix S3700, and the waterproof Coolpix W100 point-and-shoot.
I can’t remember the last time I reached for a flash drive or a crayon, but somehow I’m tempted to grab these adorable USB-C drives from Sandisk available in electric lime, cerulean blue, vivid violet (Walmart-only), and mango tango colors. There are 64GB, 128GB, and 256 GB versions for $15, $20, and $29, respectively.
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Grant Davis has shared an in-depth 20-minute video detailing the trials and errors of building an old-school CRT combo TV out of Lego that mechanically recreates the iconic bouncing logo screensaver found on many DVD players. It took three months to perfect, but that was clearly time well spent.
Two Game Boy masterpieces in a week: first the Lego Game Boy, now this incredible Game Boy Micro build. Bonus points for repurposing the Rumble Pak slot as a Game Boy Advance cartridge slot. Feels so right!
Review: Lego Game Boy vs. real Game Boy.
The brick version is even better than I imagined: an incredibly faithful, fun, and clever build. You can press every button, spin every wheel; designers nail the curves and recreate almost every label. For $48 at Costco (in-person) or $60 at Amazon, it’s even relatively affordable. (I bought it myself.)
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After revealing its Game Boy in July, Lego has a new set for Sega fans. The French Lego online store has a new listing for a 260-piece Genesis controller with a mini Sonic the Hedgehog diorama built into the back, but it will only be available as a gift with larger purchases.
We knew that phones, speakers and game consoles were going to be hit by tariffs. Now they’re making it harder and more expensive to get your hands on TTRPGs, retro video games, and vintage cameras too. Lego even announced that it would stop selling individual bricks in the US.
There’s lots we don’t know about Antigravity, the first drone from Insta360. But after my first flights, I think it could change what we expect out of drones. Want a look at some (prototype! compressed!) 360-degree footage on YouTube? I uploaded this interactive sample! Set resolution to 4K first.
“This model is fan art created by myself, it is not endorsed by, sponsored by or affiliated with Sony or PlayStation,” writes Graham Watson on his Bambu crowdfunding campaign. (Here’s more about those.) Looks awesome; I hope Sony’ll give it the nod or even a little help!
Bambu now sells electronics to drop into your creations — remember my floating light bulb and TARDIS? This time, I’m using the $135 “Motion-Activated Sound and Light Props Kit” with Joel He’s double-bladed saber files, but you can design anything you like. Should I try a Zelda Master Sword next?
Bambu’s 3D printers started on Kickstarter; now, the company’s own MakerWorld Crowdfunding has 11 different 3D prints you can back, including DIY pinball tables, steampunk disc blasters, and this epic board game. Be warned you’re paying for the promise of 3D files, not final products. And you can’t just submit your own designs yet; that’s invitation only for now.
From the makers of TinyTV: the $50 Thumby Color and $30 Thumby. Raspberry Pi Pico chips run at just in the low hundred MHz, displays are 0.85 or 0.4 inches respectively! But that’s enough for MicroPython games you can code in a web browser, or even real Doom on the OG Thumby (find installers here). More in my full story.
It costs $60 and ships October 1st.
Oh, I had such high hopes for the Piaggio G1T4-M1N1 (“Gita Mini”). An officially licensed Star Wars bot that follows you around, dodging pedestrians while carrying 20 pounds of cargo and playing The Imperial March on its party speaker? Heck yes. But a single walk to the park showed me that this $2,875 bot doesn’t have enough smarts. (I couldn’t fit all its fails into one video!)
