Govee’s Gaming Box Takes on Philips Hue to Sync Flashy Lights as You Play

Govee’s Gaming Sync Box.
Govee

The smart lighting upstart Govee is introducing its answer to the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box. Just announced at CES 2023, the company’s AI Gaming Sync Box Kit syncs Govee smart lights to whatever games you’re playing, with what Govee calls “near zero synchronization delay.” The AI has been trained on dozens of video games and will trigger lighting effects for certain in-game achievements as well as what’s showing on screen.

The box has three HDMI ports to allow for multiple devices and is compatible with 4K resolution. While the price is still to be determined, Govee expects it to retail for $300 to $350 starting sometime this year.

Govee also introduced a multicolored LED Strip Light M1. It’s the first device that works with the Matter platform to connect smart home products together, even if they’re made by different companies. The company plans to release more Matter-compatible devices later this year, but its older products can’t be made compatible after the fact.

“Matter has upgraded hardware chip requirements, so the previous products will not support Matter because of hardware reasons,” Govee said in emailed documents. It’s a trend other tech companies have had to follow, too, as they roll out their first devices compatible with the Matter standard.

Read more

• Philips Hue’s New TV Gadget Matches Colored Lights to Whatever You Watch or Play
• Matter Standard Arrives for Smart Home Devices