Show your Hue: Monitor lighting also without sync effect

It's time again to show you a small Hue installation from my own four walls. Nothing spectacular, but maybe something to stimulate your thoughts and reflections. The focus is on the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for the PC.

This has been on the market since last September and is available in three different configurations: for monitors from 24 to 27 and 32 to 34 inches or triple setups with three 24 to 27 inch screens. It is intended to be connected with the Hue Sync app for Windows or Mac – but it also works without.

What provides an Ambilight-like effect for gaming is not quite as suitable for office work in my view. I don't need the lighting to change just because I move a mainly white window to a corner of the screen. Nevertheless, I find the multi-coloured and, with white tones, also very bright lighting effect behind the monitor really great and pleasant for the eyes. Moreover, nothing stands around on the desk and becomes a dust catcher.

Just the wall still needs a little love

I recently switched to a Flexispot desk and still have to do some painting work on the wall behind the 32-inch screen, but I have already taken care of the appropriate control: a Hue Smart Button is magnetically attached to the frame of the desk, right next to the buttons for height adjustment. The smart button fits perfectly there and allows me to switch through five scenes and also dimming. I have created various scenes here that include not only the Play Gradient light strip behind the monitor, but also the Hue ceiling lighting.

Price-wise, the multi-coloured Lightstrip is currently 128 euros for smaller screens and 146.99 euros for larger screens. I find this much more attractive than three Play Lightbars (which would even be significant) or the Ambiance Gradient Lightstrip (which is difficult to attach behind a screen). Together with the Smart Button, this is a really great solution for me.