Philips Lighting just announced its first partnership with Razer, the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers. This lighting system is actually super cool, and I want it. Gamers will be able to sync their Philips Hue color-capable smart lighting with their Razer Chroma-enabled devices, be it laptops, keyboards, mice or mouse pads, and enjoy light effects that enhance their gameplay and content. Game developers will be able to create lighting effects that change dynamically during gameplay, so basically your home lighting will change depending on what is going on in-game, whether they are playing Overwatch, Quake Champions or whatever.
You'll need a Philips Hue V2 bridge, Philips Hue color-capable lights and the latest Philips Hue app software update. Razer Chroma users will then just need to add the Philips Hue functionality via the Razer Synapse 3 software, available for free with every compatible Razer device as of January 9, 2018. This will enable you to sync with games that have been designed with the Philips Hue and Razer Chroma Link integration and light effects.
Razer Chroma-enabled devices, including gaming laptops, peripherals and accessories, will light up in parallel to the synced Philips Hue lights. From battle scenes and character selection to magical conquests, the new functionality creates a lighting experience that goes beyond the screen.
"We're excited about this first integration to bring Philips Hue Entertainment to life for consumers. We have seen high demand from gamers for a richer game-play experience," said Chris Worp, Business Group Leader Home at Philips Lighting. "Our smart lighting can deliver just that. Philips Hue takes the content beyond the screen and extends it into the living room. For gamers, this 'surround sound for your eyes' is incredibly powerful when synced with the Razer Chroma-enabled devices."
It sounds gimmicky, but I keep thinking about how cool it would be to play, say, RE7, be scared as hell with the lights adapting and reacting, then have a couple homeys drop by and have the lights switch up, like, "Time to chill man. Have a heart attack later." There are a lot of accessories promising "immersion" these days (check out our VR candle review here), and this seems like it might fit the bill perfectly.
