Have you seen the MFGC and RSP projects?
The xMagic is an excellent all-in-one chip for enrolling in many existing systems, but it’s still an x-series so it would perform similarly to your NExT in terms of ease of reading. The FlexUG4 would probably be what I was considering if I was in your shoes
I have heard that they’re a very similar experience
That is an excellent question, do you know what sort of systems you would want to be able to enroll your chip in? Do you know if they’re LF or HF? Do they work with your NExT, or do you need something with a better read range?