The Sphere in Las Vegas has already hosted a number of concerts, movies and immersive experiences within its walls. But outside, its massive Exosphere screen has largely been reserved for abstract images or eye-catching brand takeovers. That changed during CES 2026.
Through a collaboration between Disney, Lucasfilm, Lego and Sphere Studios, timed to celebrate Lego’s newly introduced Smart Play system, the exterior of Sphere reached a location no other part of the venue had seen before. I don’t think it will ever be surpassed.
Ironically, Lego’s new Smart Brick lacks a screen to play with: that’s part of its genius. However, this moment felt like a celebration of imagination at scale, a test of what happens when the physical creativity of Lego is combined with a canvas as enormous as the Sphere.
Approaching from the south end of the Las Vegas Strip, the acquisition was impossible to miss. Lego Star Wars minifigures of Luke, Leia, Darth Vader and more tore through the Sphere, surrounded by waves of falling bricks. But as I turned the corner, I saw the real piece de resistance, even before I saw the other side of the Sphere: a life-size Lego X-Wing.
Soon enough, I put on a helmet and watched as the X-Wing’s front hood moved forward and the cockpit door opened, revealing 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 show was right ahead, visible through the transparent cockpit window, with the Death Star basically filling my entire field of vision. If you wanted, you could also look at the cockpit screen, but why?
I started out alongside a number of other What followed was every Star Wars fan’s dream trench, developed on an absolutely massive scale.
The Sphere’s outdoor display, called Exosphere, is the largest outdoor exhibit in the world at a staggering 366 feet tall, and Lego Star Wars took over all 580,000 square feet. It’s surely the biggest screen a Lego Star Wars game has ever been played on, and possibly ever will be. Although this experience was created specifically for the Sphere, it still looked and felt unmistakably similar to the Lego Star Wars series.
It was Lego Star Wars represented virtually in what might be the best way, quite close to the Skywalker Saga game, where you can do a race quite similar to this one. As the Death Star got closer and closer, after seeing more iconic Lego Star Wars ships appear, like the Tantive IV, I went to do the iconic trench on the Sphere. It was, quite simply, a pinching moment that felt like diving straight into Star Wars: a new hope.
Here, the flight control stick was a little overbearing, but I managed to take down several turrets and TIE fighters along the way. Finally, the message “Defeat Darth Vader” appeared on the screen and, with a few well-placed shots, I managed to land some excellent direct hits, if I do say so myself.
Then came the final shot. The complete shell of the Lego Death Star filled the Sphere before the iconic implosion and explosion sequence occurred, with gray Lego bricks exploding on 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 point out that while the X-Wing itself was primarily made of Lego bricks, with a few other structural elements mixed in, there was a completely brick-built R2-D2 on board, along with a giant Smart Brick. The droid moved and screamed during the race, its head spinning the entire time.
In the end I got 50,000 points, neither the lowest nor the highest, but it was quite an admirable performance.
While this activation at CES 2026 very clearly used a screen, and a huge one at that, it still echoed the same idea behind Lego’s new Smart Brick. At its core, it was about stepping into the Star Wars narrative 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 into a shared, fully immersive moment. At home, Smart Brick and Smart Minifigures aim to generate that same sense of engagement on a much smaller scale, using lights, sounds and reactions built directly into the bricks to draw players into the story and let their 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 long-time Lego builder, and someone who scored more than me on the Death Star trench race.
Dart had a similar initial reaction after piloting the X-Wing, calling it “crazy.” “This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lifelong fan. I had a lot of fun piloting the LEGO Star Wars X-Wing and seeing it in Sphere.”
When asked when his passion for Star Wars began, Dart explained, “Honestly, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been drawn to it.”
“Star Wars was my first love when it came to movies and characters, and that love has continued to evolve throughout my life. It makes me feel like I’m a little kid again.” Dart also brings a bit of Star Wars to game day, as he’s known for wearing one-sided makeup that looks like Anakin Skywalker.
He called Anakin his on-field persona, describing him as powerful and commanding, two traits necessary for an NFL quarterback. Off the field, he added: “I would probably compare myself to Yoda because I’m a leader who wants everyone around me to succeed.”
We closed on the all-important topic of Dart’s favorite Lego set, specifically his favorite Star Wars build, and the answer came quickly: the newly released UCS Death Star. “Because I love challenges and it was very complex.”
That certainly follows. The latest Death Star from the Ultimate Collector Series is one of the most ambitious Lego Star Wars releases yet, at 9,023 pieces and standing approximately 20 inches tall.
Unlike previous versions of the Death Star, or even the one recreated in the Sphere, Lego’s latest Death Star is designed as a cut-out cross section rather than a full globe, and represents each floor filled with the battle station’s iconic rooms as seen throughout the franchise.
Lego Smart Play officially launches on March 1, 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 first impressions of those sets here.
TechRadar will cover this year’s edition extensively CESand will bring you all the important announcements as they happen. Go to our 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 devices and the latest in artificial intelligence.
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