The Sphere in Las Vegas has already hosted a number of immersive concerts, films and experiences within its walls. But on the outside, its massive exoskeleton display has largely been reserved for abstract imagery or eye-catching brand takeovers. That changed during CES 2026.
Through a collaboration between Disney, Lucasfilm, Lego and Sphere Studios, meant to celebrate Lego’s recently unveiled Smart Play system, Spheres went outside a place like no other part of the venue has ever done before. I don’t think it will ever be topped.
Ironically, Lego’s new Smart Brick lacks a screen for play – that’s part of its ingenuity. But this moment felt like a celebration of imagination on a grand scale, a testament to what happens when Lego’s physical creativity is paired with a canvas as massive as the sphere.
Approaching from the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, the takeover was impossible to miss. Lego Star Wars minifigures of Luke, Leia, Darth Vader and more flashed across the sphere, surrounded by waves of tumbling bricks. But as I rounded the corner, even before I saw the other side of the sphere, I spotted the real pièce de résistance: a life-size Lego X-Wing.
Soon enough I pulled on a helmet and watched as the X-Wing’s front helm swung forward and the cockpit door opened to reveal my seat inside. In front of me was a single flight arm with a trigger, along with a screen to select a character and start the experience. But the real spectacle was straight out, visible through the clear cockpit window, where the Death Star pretty much filled my entire field of vision. If I wanted to, I could see the cockpit screen too, but why?
I took off with a number of other X-Wings, my fellow Rebels if you will, before the TIE Fighters began to approach as we flew closer to the floating battle station. What followed was every Star Wars fan’s dream trench run, played out on an absolutely massive scale.
The Sphere’s outer screen, called the exosphere, is the world’s largest outdoor screen at a staggering 366 feet tall, and Lego Star Wars took over all 580,000 square feet of it. It’s certainly the biggest screen a Lego Star Wars game has ever been played on, and possibly ever will be. Although this experience was custom built specifically for the Sphere, it still felt and looked like the Lego Star Wars series.
It was Lego Star Wars depicted closest in what might be the best way, pretty close The Skywalker Saga game where you can make a race similar to this. As the Death Star got closer, after seeing several iconic Lego Star Wars vessels like the Tantive IV appear, I went into the iconic trench race on the Sphere. It was simply a pinch-me moment that felt like diving right into it Star Wars: A New Hope.
Here the flight control stick was a bit overbearing, but I managed to knock out several turrets and TIE Fighters along the way. Eventually the prompt appeared on the screen saying “Defeat Darth Vader” and with some well placed shots I managed to land a couple of excellent direct hits if I do say so myself.
Then came the final shot. The full shell of the Lego Death Star filled the Orb before the iconic implosion and explosion sequence took over, with gray Lego bricks crashing across the screen in chaotic fashion. Smoke filled the area around the X-Wing for added effect. It was crazy, and absolutely incredible on an epic scale.
I’ll also note that while the X-Wing itself was mostly made of Lego bricks, with a few other structural elements mixed in, there was a fully brick-built R2-D2 on board, along with a giant smart brick. The droid moved and screamed throughout the run, its head spinning all the time.
I ended up scoring 50,000 points, neither the lowest nor the highest, but a pretty admirable performance.
While this activation at CES 2026 very clearly used a screen – and a massive one at that – it still reflected the same idea behind Lego’s new Smart Brick. At its core, this was about stepping into Star Wars storytelling and becoming a part of it, rather than passively watching it unfold on a phone or tablet.
The Sphere simply took that concept to the extreme, turning the Death Star trench race into a fully immersive, communal moment. At home, Smart Brick and Smart Minifigures aim to spark that same sense of participation on a much smaller scale, using lights, sounds and reactions built right into the bricks to draw players into the story and let imagination do the rest.
TechRadar also had the chance to catch up with Jaxson Dart, the NFL quarterback for the New York Giants, who is an avid Star Wars fan, a longtime Lego builder, and someone who outscored me in the Death Star scavenger hunt.
Dart had a similar initial reaction after piloting the X-Wing, calling it “crazy”. “This was definitely a chance for a lifelong fan. I had so much fun piloting the LEGO Star Wars X-Wing and watching it play on the Sphere.”
When asked when his passion for Star Wars began, Dart explained, “Honestly, ever since I can remember, I’ve always just been drawn to it.”
“Star Wars was my first love when it came to movies and characters, and that love has continued to develop throughout my life. It makes me feel like a little kid again.” Dart also brings a bit of Star Wars to game day, as he is known for wearing one-sided makeup similar to Anakin Skywalker.
He called Anakin his on-field character and described him as strong and commanding, two traits necessary for an NFL quarterback. Off the court, he added: “I would probably compare myself to Yoda because I’m a leader who wants everyone around me to be successful.”
We broached the all-important topic of Dart’s favorite Lego set, specifically his favorite Star Wars build, and the answer came quickly: the just-released UCS Death Star. “Because I love a challenge and it was very complex.”
It certainly tracks. The latest Ultimate Collector Series Death Star is one of the most ambitious Lego Star Wars releases to date, with 9,023 pieces and standing around 20 inches tall.
Unlike previous versions of the Death Star, or even the one recreated on Sphere, the latest Lego Death Star is designed as a cut-out cross-section rather than a full globe, showing each floor filled with iconic rooms from the battle station as seen throughout the franchise.
Lego Smart Play officially launches on 1 March 2026 with three new Star Wars sets, each containing at least one Smart Brick, Smart Minifigure and Smart Tag. You can see our first look and early impressions of these sets here.
TechRadar will extensively cover this year’s CESand will bring you all the big announcements as they happen. Head over to ours CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable screens to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets and the latest in artificial intelligence.
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