Matthew Keith Updated: May 11, 2022 8:31 AM Posted: May 9, 2022 9:21 AM Category: Hardware Reviews 0

Having just reviewed Govee’s Glide Hexa Light Panels, I decided to keep the lights on a little longer and take a look at their new Gaming Light Kit. To be honest before diving into the Hexa Light Panels just last week, I didn’t really consider lighting as a part of my setup. However, after spending time with both the Hexa Light Panels and now the Gaming Light Kit, I have to confess that I may just be a new convert to the world of custom game lighting. 

The Gaming Light Kit is a three-light system designed from the ground up to offer the next level of immersion for gamers. Packed to the brim with features, Govee’s Gaming Lighting Kit is designed to translate what's happening on your monitor into an immersive, lighting spectacle. Does it sound too good to be true? Grab that coffee, kick back and let's find out in our review of the Gaming Light Kit, graciously provided by the good folks over at Govee for this review.  

Much like the Govee Hexa Light Panels, I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of the Gaming Light Kit. Out of the box, everything about the Gaming Light Kit feels solid and sturdy. The kit comes with two bar lights(each with a built-in stand), one fairly robust strip light, a camera, power supply, and mounting brackets. 

The bar lights are sleek and clean-looking with a small illuminated logo at each base. The camera shares a similar aesthetic with a slim profile and a single small logo on the front of the light. Similarly, the strip light feels solid and durable to the touch and mounts securely when installed (more on that in a moment). Govee has gone the extra mile in its design and build quality to create a brand that is synonymous with quality. This helps set the brand apart in a fairly saturated market.

Much like the Hexa Panels, the Gaming Light Kit doesn’t just derive its title as a quality product from its physical construction. Installation of the Kit is actually a fairly straightforward affair, and considering what this system can actually do, that’s impressive. The camera mounts easily to the top of your monitor (much like a standard webcam) but comes equipped with an adhesive back to secure it. 

Once the camera is in place, you can select from two included templates (for 16:9 and 21:9) to lay out your mounting brackets for the strip light. Each bracket is easy to install using the attached adhesive strips and after ten seconds of holding it in place becomes solid and unmoving. Once that is completed, simply clip the strip light into the brackets, plug it and the bar lights in and the installation is complete. 

The process was easy but there are a couple of things to note. According to the instructions the system is designed to only work with a perfectly flat monitor back which may be an issue for some users. Additionally, while it could be used on larger monitors thanks to the Govee calibration software, I found that my 24inch monitor was the ideal size to utilize the strip light. 

I will say (and this is not a recommendation) that I did easily make it work with a monitor that doesn’t fit the recommended specs. The back of my HP monitor definitely isn’t flat but the brackets easily mounted to it and the strip light had no problem clipping in. I can’t speak to all monitors out there but the system does seem to be adaptable to various setups. 

Once the system is powered on and the Govee app is installed you’ll find yourself walking through the calibration process. Much like most everything about the Govee ecosystem, it's a pretty easy setup process. With the monitor turned on you’ll be instructed to attach 7 small foam blocks to the edges of your monitor. Once in place, you will walk through the camera calibration process. The camera uses the blocks to help map the edges of the capture area with you being able to adjust what the camera can capture. The whole process takes about a minute and the results were exceptionally accurate. 

Calibration doesn’t end there though. The now attached strip light can also be calibrated so as to adapt to the layout and design of your monitor. In the app, a visual representation of the strip light is displayed and you can manually adjust where the corners of your monitor are in relation to the light itself. This allows the app to more accurately project light from the top, bottom and sides independently of one another. Again this whole process takes about a minute. 

Having worked with a couple of other smart light apps previously I am blown away at how robust the Govee App is. Every control for all of your Govee products can be found there and adding a new light system is as simple as hitting the plus sign. Once added all of the features of that system become available. In the case of the Gaming Light Kit, there are many features that cross over with the Hexa Light Panels. Music sync, atmospheric lighting and independent light control are all present. As are the scheduling and wake/sleep features. 

However, what separates the Gaming Light Kit from others is what the included camera brings to the table. Unlike other systems that rely on audio feedback to produce lighting effects, the camera actually captures what is happening on your screen and translates that to lighting effects that then are sent to the strip and bar lights. 

The system also allows you to tweak everything from effect speed to the type of game you are playing. You can even go so far as to select which lights will output effects giving you control over the whole experience. It's a pretty impressive system on paper and the app makes using it simple and streamlined. 

Additionally, the system uses RBGIC technology which in essence gives the user an unprecedented amount of control over what each light can do. Essentially you can display multiple colors on one light allowing for an exceptional amount of customization to suit your lighting needs. This works in tandem with the camera to help create the most complex and immersive experience possible. 

Full disclosure, when I started using the Gaming Light Kit I really expected an experience akin to the music sync on the Hexa Panel Lights. A simple rhythm flashing that lined up more with the audio feedback than with anything actually happening on screen. I was very, very wrong. 

The Gaming Light Kit actively reacts to everything happening on the screen and not simply by flashing lights as movement occurs. Colors, light flashing and even the speed at which this all occurs are directly proportional to the colors, effects and speeds at which things are happening on your monitor. 

At first, this was actually a little overwhelming. So much was happening while I was playing the game. However, after a few moments having the added lighting effects really began to add to my experience. While testing the lights with Doom Eternal, it was pretty amazing to have my whole room light up red as I navigated my way through a lava-filled area, only to have it swap over to cool blues and greens as I entered a facility. The whole system is responsive and impressively accurate.

As I’ve been using it over the past week I have noted a few things that users might want to adjust within the app. For example when playing games with a mix of blues, greens and yellows the camera tends to translate that to yellow more so than the blues and greens. This in turn means that unless you’re in a very blue, grey or black room the camera will tend to default to those brighter colors. 

The second thing I’ve noticed is that when the sound effect option is on, things get exceptionally busy for the lights, almost to the point of overwhelming. This can be adjusted in the app but overall when the audio gets complex the system can struggle a bit to know what should take priority. 

These are small things that can be tweaked to a degree from within the app but it's worth noting that the user experience will vary and might need to be tweaked to get the experience you’re looking for.

Overall I am thoroughly impressed with Govee’s Gaming Light Kit. It offers a level of immersion I’ve not experienced in-game and it's easy to use and set up. The quality of build and simplicity of installation also adds to the value of this kit significantly. There are a few minor issues to be aware of, namely, monitor sizes and some lighting effects options, that might cause gamers to pause. However, the Gaming Light Kit from Govee offers a next-level gaming experience and would be a nice addition to any gaming setup. Priced at $179.99, the Govee Gaming Light Kit is a solid offering.

Hailing from the Great White North, Matt's been playing games since the Sega Master System was new. About 20 minutes after picking up his first controller he discovered he had an opinion on the matter. Ever since he has been looking for ways to share it with others! Matt's a pastor, gamer, writer, geek, co-host of @Rollthelevel podcast, husband, father, and loving every minute of it!

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