Govee’s Sync Box 2 delivers spectacular TV lighting with fewer trade-offs

We’ve written beforehand about Govee’s sensible TV lights, which mimic the colours out of your display and splash them behind the TV. They’re an incredible and considerably reasonably priced technique to make watching films or taking part in video games extra enjoyable and immersive.

If there’s a important draw back to most of its fashions, it’s that they require you to have a digital camera on high of your TV, which the system makes use of to interpret what colours the lightstrips must be to greatest match the video. From a usability standpoint, the digital camera’s restricted viewing vary signifies that it will possibly’t see each inch of your TV clearly, and it’s additionally prone to choosing up different gentle sources that replicate off the TV’s display, serving up inaccurate lighting.

The mannequin that I’ve spent over every week with nixes these points — and the digital camera — with a field that reads the sunshine supply through HDMI as an alternative. It’s known as the AI Sync Field 2, and it begins at $239.99 for a package designed for TVs between 55 and 65 inches. Govee additionally makes two variants: one with longer gentle strips for 75-to-85-inch TVs for $259.99 and a pricier choice for PC gaming screens between 27 and 34 inches for $279.99, which incorporates two extra stand-up lights that flank your monitor.

The AI Sync Field 2 performs dramatically higher than the camera-based Govee setup that I bought in 2022, and I think about you’ll have an much more surprising first impression in case you’ve by no means used sensible TV lights earlier than. After a comparatively easy setup that concerned sticking the included 4 rows of sunshine strips across the again facet of my TV, then plugging all of my gaming gear into the AI Sync Field 2, I used to be able to go.

You learn that final bit proper; that is an HDMI hub, so all your gadgets undergo the AI Sync Field 2 as an alternative of plugging immediately into your TV. My sound bar connects on to my TV through an optical audio cable, however in case you usually join your sound bar through HDMI, you possibly can slot it into one of many AI Sync Field 2’s 4 HDMI inputs. I want that it may mechanically change HDMI inputs, however sadly you’ll must both toggle inputs via a {hardware} button on its facet or through Govee’s app. In terms of video and audio passthrough, I’ve no complaints. Its 4 HDMI 2.1 ports assist 4K decision at as much as 144 Hz refresh charge with HDR assist, so something from a PS5 to a gaming PC will look nice.

I spent most of my time utilizing the AI Sync Field 2 whereas watching The Simpsons and taking part in Metaphor: ReFantazio. The sport’s expressive character sprites prolonged past the borders of my TV in ways in which I appreciated, and its completely wild menus put the lights via the correct paces (although often the lights would misfire random colours because it struggled to maintain up). In the meantime, the colourful, decidedly much less detailed world and characters of The Simpsons have been extra exactly portrayed by the lights.

The AI Sync Field 2 is a delight to make use of with video games which have shiny environments and splashy results. Every Astro Bot stage made it really feel like a celebration was taking place behind the TV. Nevertheless, I want it have been pretty much as good of a companion for darkish and moody video games that rely extra on distinction. The sunshine strips confirmed the boundaries of their colour vary particularly with Alan Wake 2. Wanting on the picture beneath, the field is appropriately deciphering the colours within the scene however solely on essentially the most fundamental stage: We’ve bought Saga Anderson’s FBI outfit, which is blue, and there are a bunch of timber which are inexperienced, however neither colour comes via with the depth current within the sport, making the backlights extra of a distraction than a fun-boosting addition. I reached out to Govee to ask if there’s a approach that the AI Sync Field 2’s settings might be adjusted to make it a greater match for darker titles and can replace this put up if I hear something.

As for the “AI” within the Sync Field 2’s identify, Govee says the Sync Field is ready to detect moments in sure suitable video games (like beating a boss, dying, or discovering a brand new map piece, to present a couple of examples), then show a corresponding gentle present when it occurs. It’s restricted to a dozen or so video games for now, although it consists of lots of at this time’s hottest titles, similar to Fortnite, League of Legends, Valorant, and PUBG. It additionally helps Closing Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Tremendous Smash Bros. Final, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. And the record of supported video games has continued to actively develop, even throughout my time with the evaluate unit.

The execution doesn’t ship on the guarantees of this function, nevertheless. I examined it out with Tremendous Smash Bros. Final, the place it labored solely a portion of the time it was imagined to. Via the app, I set customized gentle occasions to occur at first of every match when the phrase “Go” seems on display (this one labored), and for every time a participant is kicked out of the stage (this one didn’t). To every their very own, however even when it had labored 100% of the time, I’d fairly it simply show the colourful sport worlds and menus as an alternative of getting a disjointed gentle present.

Individuals who may take into account shopping for the AI Sync Field 2 may have their eyes on the Philips Hue Sync Field 8K, which prices $349.99. Each bins are comparable in idea, however are totally different in some key methods. They’ll each connect with bigger networks of sensible lights of their respective ecosystems, and so far as connectivity goes, they each have 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs (in addition to one HDMI 2.1 output to go to your TV), assist HDR passthrough at as much as 8K (the Govee helps 8K/30 Hz and 4K/144 Hz, whereas the newest Philips Hue mannequin touts 8K/60 Hz however tops out at 4K/120 Hz). An important factor to notice is that the Philips Hue mannequin consists of zero lights — it anticipates that you simply’re absolutely purchased in on the Hue ecosystem already — whereas Govee’s is a greater out-of-the-box worth because it consists of gentle strips that go round your TV.

You don’t must spend what the Govee AI Sync Field 2 prices to get good sensible TV lights. Lots of Govee’s much less dear merchandise are an incredible place to begin, so long as in case you’re OK with a digital camera mounted to the highest of your TV. However in order for you a clear setup that’s extra correct and responsive, this can be a nice buy that’ll scale together with your high-end gaming and leisure gear.