The iconic Sonic experience races onto the active play system, giving families a new way to run, jump, and duck their way to victory

Nex, the company behind Nex Playground, the active Play system that gets families moving together, and SEGA®, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment, today launched Sonic Forces Rival Rush™ on Nex Playground. Developed by SEGA’s HARDlight Studios, the team behind Sonic Forces™, Sonic Dash™, and Sonic Dream Team™, the new motion-controlled arcade runner brings Sonic’s signature speed and competitive racing to the living room, allowing players to control the action through their own body movements.

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Sonic Forces Rival Rush Brings High-Energy Races to Nex Playground

Sonic Forces Rival Rush brings the familiar thrill of Sonic racing to a new kind of gameplay, with players using body movement rather than traditional controllers to navigate each race. Players can collect rings, grab power-ups, dodge hazards, and race against friends, family, or bot rivals, creating a fast-paced experience that is easy for players to pick up while offering progression and replayability for longtime Sonic fans.

Designed for solo play or local two-player racing, Sonic Forces Rival Rush puts players directly into the action as they race through iconic Sonic environments. Key game features:

Race with full-body movement: Lean left and right to change lanes, jump to clear obstacles, and duck or squat to slide under hazards as characters automatically run through each track.
Compete together: Race solo or challenge a friend in local two-player split-screen competition, with bot rivals filling out the four-character race lineup.
Run through Sonic-inspired worlds: Launch tracks span Green Hill, Sky Sanctuary, Ruined City and Mystic Jungle, with races available across Easy, Medium and Hard difficulty levels.
Power up each race: Collect and use three types of power-ups including Attack, Boost. and Trap, designed to keep races competitive.
Build a character collection: Collect Gold Rings during races to unlock characters and make progress across a growing roster of 15 characters, featuring Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and more.
Race toward bragging rights: Finish first to earn Trophies for the selected character, with Bronze, Silver, and Gold badge milestones.

“There’s something incredibly nostalgic about bringing Sonic to Nex Playground. He’s a character that parents grew up with, and kids still love today, so we have this unique opportunity to introduce a game that feels familiar across generations in a completely new way,” said David Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Nex. “With Sonic Forces Rival Rush, we wanted to preserve what makes Sonic instantly recognizable while rethinking how players can engage with that world. The result feels distinctly Sonic, but in a way that could only exist on Nex Playground.”

By combining responsive motion controls with familiar Sonic characters, environments, and power-ups, Sonic Forces Rival Rush captures the speed and energy people associate with Sonic while turning it into something the whole family can experience together.

“We’re thrilled to bring Sonic Forces Rival Rush to the interactive Nex Playground console and introduce this experience to a wider audience,” said Takashi Iizuka, Sonic Creative Officer at SEGA of America. “It’s been a pleasure working alongside the Nex team as well as the team at HARDlight Studios who have implemented their immense expertise throughout the process. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve created and cannot wait for fans to experience Sonic in a whole new way.”

Sonic Forces Rival Rush is available now on Nex Playground through Play Pass, Nex Playground’s content subscription, which offers access to a growing library of 60+ active games spanning sports, dance, fitness, educational experiences, and more. Play Pass is sold separately and can be added to Nex Playground at any time. To learn more, visit nexplayground.com.

About Nex

Nex is on a mission to connect families and friends through active play. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion. Its award-winning active play system, Nex Playground, is the only controller-free console built specifically for kids and families with safety and privacy at the core of its design. Nex Playground is kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and a member of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) in the U.S. In the U.K., Nex Playground aligns with GDPR requirements, earning PEGI 3 age ratings on the included starter bundle. Motion-tracking data and processing stay local to the device, and every system includes a built-in camera cover.

Nex Playground with Play Pass features a growing catalog of 60+ active games, from sports to dance, fitness, and educational experiences, including Nex Originals and collaborations with partners such as Paramount, Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, and Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards.

Nex Playground is available at Amazon, Best Buy®, Target®, Walmart®, Costco, Sam’s Club® , and TikTok Shop, online and select retail stores in the U.S. and Canada, and is available in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland at Amazon U.K., Argos, and Smyths Toys. To learn more, visit nexplayground.com or follow the company on Instagram and Facebook.

About SEGA

SEGA CORPORATION is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and is a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. The company develops, publishes, and distributes a variety of games for consoles, PCs, and wireless devices as well as character products, and various other products. Moreover, SEGA distributes a range of gaming content developed by its domestic and overseas studios worldwide via its global publishing bases. SEGA is leveraging its own IP to accelerate the development and commercialization of its IP not only in games but also in various other media, thereby dramatically increasing the value of its IP. SEGA is positioning transmedia as an important strategy for providing new content to users around the world.

SEGA CORPORATION's website is located at https://www.sega.co.jp/

©SEGA. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA, the SEGA logo and SONIC FORCES RIVAL RUSH are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261007544612/en/

BerlinRosen for Nex
nex@berlinrosen.com

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