Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC Review: Color Syncing for Games, Music, and Movies Leave a comment

Smart lighting is an underrated way to rework any area, however it’s particularly suited to gaming PCs. Colorful mild units a temper, and dynamic accent lighting can add an additional layer of immersion for music, films, and video games. The Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC does precisely that. It attaches to the again of your monitor and works through the Hue app in your telephone. 

“Gradient” denotes its potential to show completely different colours concurrently, and the lightstrip syncs with content material by way of a desktop app. Philips Hue is perhaps the go-to model you consider while you consider good lighting, however its wares come at outrageously excessive costs, and the Play Gradient Lightstrip is not any exception. There are three lightstrips for displays: 24 to 27 inches ($170), 32 to 34 inches ($190), or a bundle for a trio of 24- to 27-inch displays ($280)—the latter two aren’t out there in choose markets but. You additionally want a Hue Bridge ($50).

Simplified Setup

I’ve lengthy had my eye on the Philips Hue Play system for my massive TV, however that setup additionally requires a Sync Box ($250) it’s essential to run content material by way of (and it doesn’t work with good TV apps). Though nonetheless dear, the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC is a much more reasonably priced and simple prospect.

The lightstrip is rubbery and versatile with a curved diffuser. You get plastic guides within the field that stick with the again of your monitor and maintain the strip in place. The directions are clear, and even with my curved widescreen, attaching the strip was fast and simple. The solely bushy second got here once I tried to plug the wire in (watch out to not bend the pins).

Hardware in place, I braced myself to deal with the software program, however it was even simpler to arrange. I put in the Hue Sync desktop app, and since I have already got a Hue Bridge, a faucet of the button on the entrance was sufficient so as to add the lightstrip. It instantly appeared in my Hue app and additionally in my Google Home app. If you might have an RGB lighting setup in your desktop PC, you may additionally wish to use Corsair’s iCue software program to sync lighting results along with your PC parts, keyboard, and mouse (the Hue app gives Razer integration, too).

Most people will use the refreshingly easy Hue Sync desktop app. You can select Scenes, as with different Hue lights, that are suited to completely different actions or are simply moody blends of colours. But there are additionally modes for syncing with numerous kinds of content material.

Color Coordination

The actual purpose to snag the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC is for mild syncing, and the desktop app has modes for Games, Music, and Video. Within every mode, you may choose Subtle, Moderate, High, or Extreme and faucet a button to start syncing. These choices decide how regularly the lightstrip tries to match the onscreen motion or the audio you’re taking part in.

You’ll wish to experiment. I discovered the next frequency labored effectively with action-packed films, first-person shooters, and digital dance music, for instance, however I most popular a decrease depth for most content material. The Extreme mode is usually a bit jarring for music and distracting for films, however transitions are typically clean, and the lightstrip does an important job of shade matching.

The strip works particularly effectively with video games. It was merely a pleasing addition to Total War: Warhammer III, however it pulled me deeper into Cyberpunk 2077 and actually ramped up the environment of horror games like Alien Isolation.