You are the controller—a console that gets families off the couch
As the holiday season reaches its final stretch, the marketplace offers one last convergence of meaningful discounts on tools that shape how we play, work, and connect. From a motion-sensing console that turns the body itself into a controller, to earbuds that carry an AI assistant in your ear, these deals reflect a broader cultural moment in which technology is being woven ever more intimately into daily life. The window is narrow — most offers close by mid-December — and the question for consumers is not merely what to buy, but what kind of relationship with technology they are choosing to invite into their homes.
- The holiday shopping clock is running out, with several of the year's best tech prices expiring as early as December 14th, creating real urgency for anyone still on the fence.
- The Nex Playground — a controller-free, AI-powered gaming console that reads your body movements — has become a surprise sellout hit, with stock visibly tightening as the deadline approaches.
- Google's extended holiday sale through December 24th offers a rare second chance at the Pixel Buds 2A's all-time low price, bundling noise cancellation and hands-free AI access into a $99 package.
- Laptop seekers have a narrow opportunity to land Apple's M4 MacBook Air at $749, a $250 discount that brings one of the year's best machines close to its Black Friday floor.
- Across the board — from a retro-futuristic charging station to an electric screwdriver to a Lego set under $9 — the deals signal a market trying to clear inventory before the calendar turns.
The holiday shopping window is narrowing, and some of the year's strongest tech discounts are still alive — but only just. For those who have been waiting, this week represents a genuine last call.
The season's most talked-about surprise is the Nex Playground, a cube-shaped console that abandons the traditional controller entirely. Its built-in camera and AI software track your physical movements, letting you play titles like Fruit Ninja and Whack-a-Mole by actually moving your body. It's the kind of device that pulls families into the living room rather than isolating them in front of screens. Amazon has it at $199 — 50% off — through December 14th, though the full game library requires a Play Pass subscription starting at $49 for three months.
Google's holiday sale, running through December 24th, has returned the Pixel Buds 2A to their all-time low of $99. The earbuds offer active noise cancellation, a natural transparency mode, and hands-free access to Gemini for on-the-go AI assistance. Battery life reaches ten hours with ANC off, and they carry an IP54 weather resistance rating. The deal is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store.
For laptop shoppers, the M4 MacBook Air 13-inch has dropped to $749 at Amazon and Best Buy — $250 off, with Best Buy adding a free $25 gift card. The machine doubles its predecessor's base RAM to 16GB and includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, though storage stays at 256GB.
Rounding out the week: Genki's Moonbase Charging Station hits an all-time low of $89.99, offering seven simultaneous device ports in a retro-futuristic shell; Hoto's PixelDrive electric screwdriver drops to $59.99 for its first-ever discount; and the Lego Super Mario Goombas' Playground set is down to $8.99 for younger builders. Inventory on the most popular items is tightening — the holiday window is closing fast.
The holiday shopping window is narrowing, and the deals that defined Black Friday are still hanging on—at least through mid-December. If you've been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, this week offers a last real chance to catch the year's best prices on some genuinely useful gear.
The Nex Playground has become one of the season's surprise hits, a cube-shaped gaming console that works differently than anything else on the market. Instead of a controller, you are the controller. A built-in camera and AI software track your movements with precision, letting you play games like Fruit Ninja, Starri, Party Fowl, Go Keeper, and Whack-a-Mole Deluxe by actually moving your body. It's the kind of thing that gets families off the couch, which explains why retailers can't keep it in stock. Right now, through December 14th, Amazon has it marked down to $199—a $50 discount that matches the lowest price we saw on Black Friday. The catch is that while five games come bundled in, accessing the full library and seasonal releases requires a subscription: either $49 for three months or $89 for a full year of the Play Pass.
Google's holiday sale, running through December 24th, has brought back some of the season's sharpest pricing. The Pixel Buds 2A—Google's latest and most affordable wireless earbuds—have returned to their all-time low of $99, down $30 from the regular price. For that money, you get active noise cancellation, a natural-sounding transparency mode, and hands-free access to Gemini, which means you can ask for directions, brainstorm ideas, or have messages summarized without touching your phone. Battery life stretches to ten hours with ANC turned off, and the IP54 rating offers basic protection against rain and sweat, though it's not waterproof. The deal is live at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store.
If you're thinking about a laptop upgrade, Apple's M4 MacBook Air 13-inch is down to $749 at both Amazon and Best Buy—a $250 drop that gets you close to Black Friday lows. Best Buy sweetens the deal with a free $25 gift card. The machine doubles the base RAM of its predecessor to 16GB and includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, though storage remains limited at 256GB. It's still one of the best laptops available, especially at this price.
For those who want their power strip to look like it belongs in a sci-fi film, Genki's Moonbase Charging Station has hit an all-time low of $89.99, down $50 from its regular price. The retro-futuristic design is half the appeal, but the specs are serious: three AC outlets rated for 1,250W maximum power, four USB-C ports delivering up to 240W total (with a single port capable of 140W with the right cable), and a touch-sensitive button that cycles through colors and toggles the lights. The 1.5-meter braided cable is non-removable, and the AC plugs are spaced wide enough to fit larger power adapters. You can charge up to seven devices at once.
Hoto's new PixelDrive electric screwdriver is on sale for the first time at $59.99, a $20 discount. It's built for small to medium projects—assembling electronics, putting together furniture—with up to 6Nm of torque and a single multi-function button that controls direction, precision mode at 80RPM, or high-speed mode at 200RPM. A pixelated display shows battery life and torque level. Finally, if you have younger kids, the Lego Super Mario Goombas' Playground set is down to $8.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. It's a light 171-piece build that creates three stackable Goomba figurines, a tree trunk with a pop-out lever for peekaboo play, and a seesaw. The deals hold through mid-December, but inventory on the most popular items—especially the Nex Playground—is tightening as the holiday window closes.
Notable Quotes
The Nex Playground easily connects to your TV and provides a clever interactive solution that encourages you and your family to move around.— Product description
The Pixel Buds 2A offer active noise cancellation and a natural-sounding transparency mode, along with excellent sound for the price.— Product assessment
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why is the Nex Playground getting so much attention this year? It's not a new console.
It's not about raw processing power or graphics. It's about how it gets people moving. In a world where most gaming keeps you sitting down, a console that uses your body as the controller feels genuinely different. Families are buying it for that reason.
But you need a subscription to actually use it. Doesn't that feel like a trap?
It's a real cost to consider, yes. The five bundled games are fine, but the full experience—the seasonal releases, the deeper library—requires either $49 for three months or $89 a year. That's the modern gaming model, though. It's not unique to Nex.
What about the Pixel Buds 2A? Are they actually good, or just cheap?
They're genuinely good for the price. Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, Gemini integration—those are features you'd normally pay more for. The IP54 rating isn't waterproof, so they won't survive a pool, but they'll handle rain and sweat. For $99, they're a solid choice.
Is the MacBook Air deal worth jumping on?
If you need a laptop, yes. The M4 chip is fast, the battery lasts all day, and 16GB of RAM is actually useful now. The storage is still tight at 256GB, but the $250 discount gets you close to the best price of the year. Best Buy's $25 gift card is a nice bonus.
The Moonbase charging station—is that just aesthetic, or does it actually perform?
It performs. Three AC outlets, four USB-C ports, 240W total power delivery. The touch-sensitive button and color cycling are fun, but the real value is fitting seven devices on one strip without the plugs fighting each other. It's a power strip that doesn't look like a power strip.
How much longer do these deals last?
The Nex Playground expires December 14th. Google's sale runs through December 24th. Most of the others are open-ended, but inventory on popular items is tightening. If you're interested, mid-December is the window.