Ambilight alternative for the PC with HDMI 2.1

Govee's HDMI 2.1 Sync Box is promising.

A light show under your nose can be more fun than I first thought. Until recently, Govee's clever Ambilight alternative adorned my PC setup and transformed my dark gaming pit into a visual fireworks display.

You can read more about it here: A small box for the PC significantly upgrades my gaming setup, but not without a catch

The hook: Because the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box previously relied on HDMI 2.0, it supports a maximum of 60 Hertz. So I practiced patience. With the announcement at CES, the manufacturer is now releasing a second generation that makes my big criticism go to waste and finally supports 4K content with up to 120 Hertz.

Oh yes, Matter support is now also at the start.

Govee HDMI 2.1 Sync Box: The predecessor only has a few weaknesses

What exactly does the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box do?? An AI that sleeps in the box recognizes the content on your screen and adjusts the lighting of the LEDs in the background of your device accordingly.

In addition, some games are accompanied by additional, sometimes unusual lighting effects. For example, if you land a first blood in League of Legends, the box will bathe the environment in a strong blood red.

If you succeed in the first bloog in League of Legends, you will be rewarded with a red light display.

The effects can be adjusted as desired in the app.

The criticisms so far: The first sync box is anything but cheap and, depending on the monitor resolution, the box only manages a refresh rate of 60 Hertz.

For this reason, I made a limited recommendation in my review.

Patrick occasionally plays on his gaming PC, the configuration of which he constantly expands and adapts. He only knew Ambilight through hearsay from his colleagues, but had little to no contact with backlighting himself. A little test gave him a taste for it.

With 2K or Full HD screens, the first generation can achieve significantly more with FPS numbers of up to 144 or 240 Hz.

Things look different at resolutions above 2K, hence the limited recommendation. Don't get me wrong: Depending on the game title, this can be completely sufficient, not to mention subjective requirements.

But this is exactly where Govee comes in with the second generation, that is: 4K with up to 120 Hertz. Gamers with ultra-widescreen monitors like me also benefit from this.

According to the announcement, the new box even manages to play 8K content, although so far there is no word on the refresh rate.

As with its predecessor, a continuous lightstrip must be attached to the monitor or television. According to Govee, this has 75 RGBICW LEDs per meter, with a white LED ensuring finer color development.

The only thing that might not be easy to digest is the price, the current box is already on the shelves with a sinfully expensive RRP of 299 euros. The next generation is likely to be priced in a similar range, if not even more expensive.

The manufacturer is still holding back with exact price information.

And the competition? Another prominent representative in this area is Philips with the Hue Play Sync Box, which also offers HDMI 2.0 at 4K with up to 60 Hertz.

However, with a recommended retail price of 270 euros, you only get the box. LED strips or other lighting for synchronization must also be purchased.

However, it remains a matter of time until Philips presents its second generation of the Hue Play Sync Box.

Govee HDMI 2.1 Sync Box comes with Matter support

Another detail can be read between the lines of the official press release: The HDMI 2.1 Sync Box supports Matter.

Matter is the cross-manufacturer smart home standard that simplifies communication between different devices.

You can find out more about Matter in our article:

Why the new smart home standard is so important and what will change with it

I can't get my hands on a corresponding test sample soon enough. Only then will it become clear whether Govee keeps what they promise with the HDMI 2.1 Sync Box. After my experience with the first box, I'm very positive, at least for the time being.

Do you also find the HDMI 2.1 Sync Box promising or have you not been convinced by the dynamic backlighting yet? Are you following CES right now? Which innovations do you find particularly exciting so far and which announcements are you disappointed with? Feel free to write it to us in the comments below!