Those who still find time to play videogames know – gaming continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The vast majority of us now hold a portable gaming station in the palm of our hands every few minutes. Whether we choose to use it for that purpose is another story. There are subtleties that make the gaming experience so much better that we often take for granted. Sound has often been the biggest contributor to ambience, but what about light? Govee, a leading global smart home and lighting company founded in 2017, seeks to continue innovation in gaming by introducing the Govee Gaming Light Strip G1.
The overall idea of the Govee Gaming Light Strip G1 is to help create a full-blown gaming environment. What is going on around you while you game? Usually, I just see a few blank walls and some cables I’ve failed to hide behind my monitor. After setting up Govee’s light strip? I see the same colors flashing on my wall that are on my monitor. Govee uses new technology that syncs with my monitor, captures the color changes on screen, and splashes the beauty on the canvas of my rear wall. It works, and it works really well.
The Setup
Setting up the Govee Gaming Light Strip G1 is a bit like installing a screen protector on my phone. There is a minor amount of prep work, but it isn’t nearly as complicated as I initially think it’s going to be. Govee provides the necessary materials to clean off the surface of my monitor (rear monitor), and the strip has adhesive material to ensure a great set. They didn’t use a cheap adhesive either. In other words, you won’t be re-sticking it on like so many of the terrible RGB lighting options you can find on Amazon right now. Once I follow the directions and get my light strip sticking properly to the back of the monitor, I simply plug the power adapter into a socket.
Now, I need to pair the device with my phone/PC. I won’t go into phone pairing details as it simply connects via Bluetooth. Once I ensure LAN control is on in the app, I download the Govee desktop app to my PC and make sure I’m using the same network as my phone. I log into my Govee account and click the DreamView button on the device page to activate the color matching and voila. I now have the same ambience behind my screen as what is on it, creating a new dynamic to my gaming and watching experience.
The Ambience
Adding in a new color rich environment is a bit tedious, but it is a whole lot of fun. I feel much more a part of what is going on onscreen with the Govee Gaming Light Strip G1 connected. The more I play, the more I realize how subtle the change is. When I first started using the lighting, I noticed, but the more I use it the more I notice how it draws me in, but I’m certainly not focused on it. It becomes a bit more like the sound in the environment. It’s there, it helps, but it isn’t the main thing I focus on. This is a good thing. It doesn’t take away from the core focus of gaming, it simply enhances the overall experience in its own unique way.
Govee didn’t just create this device to sync with a monitor either. It has 123 scene and music modes I can adjust with Google Home, Alexa, or Razer Chroma. Therefore, if I want to simply add some color while hanging out near my computer, I can just put the app on scene mode, select my desired scheme and enjoy a different ambient experience.
Interestingly enough, I notice the impact of the device once it is off. Life feels drab without it, like removing the music from a movie. The only downside I’ve found is the current limit on monitor size. The Govee Gaming Light Strip G1 is most effective for 27–34-inch monitors.
The Verdict
The Govee Gaming Light Strip G1 is a great way to introduce yourself into a more dynamic and enhanced gaming environment. I love the way it gives more color around me and draws me deeper into my game experience. It isn’t quite as brilliant as the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box Kit (Amazon link here), but it isn’t quite the hassle with setup either. I’m really excited to see how Govee goes about enhancing the lighting in the future for gamers.
Our reviews are always 100% independent, but Gearadical receives a small affiliate amount if you purchase the product on Amazon.
