Nvidia’s CEO Plays With “Microduck” Robots as 20,000 Sell: This Year’s Hottest Toy?

Every year brings a must-have holiday gadget, and this year’s surprise frontrunner is a small robotic duck. After Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang played with a flock of waddling robots on stage at a major AI conference, preorders passed 20,000 in about a day. The Microduck robot is cute, clever and a little clumsy, and it may become one of the hottest Christmas toys of 2026. Here is what Microduck is, what it can do, how much it costs, and what buyers should know before ordering.

The Demo That Went Viral

During his keynote at Nvidia’s GTC Berlin conference, Huang brought four Microduck robots on stage and asked them to sit, stand, nap and even do somersaults. Some followed his instructions while others wandered off or toppled over, which only added to their charm.

By the next day, preorders had passed 20,000 units, according to Hugging Face’s Clem Delangue, as TechCrunch reported. Delangue suggested Microduck could become the best-selling robot of the year.

What Is Microduck?

Microduck is an open-source robot made by Pollen Robotics, a company Hugging Face acquired in 2025. Nvidia bought Hugging Face in September 2026, making Microduck effectively part of the Nvidia family. It is Hugging Face’s second consumer robot, after the Reachy Mini.

According to reports on the demo, Microduck stands about 25 centimetres tall and packs 15 motors, cameras, LiDAR sensors and microphones. It makes little R2-D2-style sounds and responds to voice commands.

How it learns

Microduck learned its basic moves, such as walking, sitting, standing and falling over, in computer simulations before the skills were transferred to the real robot. Nvidia’s tools run thousands of virtual copies of the robot at once, which speeds up learning. Owners can teach their own Microduck new tricks and share them with the community, as Interesting Engineering explained.

Price and Availability

Reports put the price at about US$399. Deliveries are expected in time for Christmas, though the initial purchase window reportedly closed because the first batch sold out. If you are outside the US, check the official Pollen Robotics site for shipping options, local pricing and any extra import costs before ordering.

What to Know Before You Buy

Microduck is impressive, but it is still an early product:

• It is not perfect. The live demo showed robots stumbling and wandering, so set realistic expectations, especially for young children.
• It suits curious families and tinkerers. Its open-source design makes it great for learning about robotics and AI.
• Think about privacy. Any toy with cameras and microphones collects data. Read the privacy policy, keep software updated and set it up on a secure home network.
• Buy from official sources. Viral toys attract scams and fake listings, so avoid unknown resellers.

Privacy concerns about AI toys are real. This month, the maker of a separate AI robot charm said it would hire a security firm after reports showed hackers could read transcripts of conversations with the toy.

The company behind Microduck is also in the news for other reasons, as our report on Hugging Face’s CEO and Netflix’s AI documentary explains. For more on robots and AI, see our coverage of Tesla’s Optimus production. Our best tech gifts for Christmas guide has more ideas.

A Small Robot With Big Momentum

Microduck has turned a stage demo into a holiday phenomenon, showing how quickly AI-powered robots are moving from labs into living rooms. It is charming, clever and still a little wobbly. If you want one for Christmas, order from official sources, check shipping to your country, and keep privacy in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Microduck cost?

Reports put the price at about US$399, before shipping and any local taxes.

When will Microduck ship?

Deliveries are expected in time for Christmas, though the first batch has reportedly sold out.

Is Microduck safe for kids?

It is designed to be friendly, but it includes cameras and microphones, so parents should review privacy settings and supervise younger children.

Can Microduck learn new tricks?

Yes. Owners can train new behaviours and share them with the community.