Best Lighting Kits for Gaming
Regardless of how you feel about RGB lighting, gaming and super bright LED lights are practically synonymous. Whether you’re looking for a freestanding solution or just need some accent lighting for your next stream, we’ve rounded up some suggestions for lighting kits that will help you show off your gaming credentials to the world.
While some peripheral manufacturers like Corsair and Razer make their own versions of standalone RGB lighting kits, their iCue and Synapse software suites are also compatible with more readily available (and cheaper) lighting systems. Razer’s Synapse software, for example, includes extensions that allow your desktop to talk to lighting accessories from LIFX, Philips Hue, Govee, Nanoleaf, and more. Not all accessories from certain manufacturers are compatible, however.
Below we have collected a number of different lighting solutions, where to find them and how to use them in combination with your gaming setup.
The largest option on our list, a pair of Govee LED Floor Lamps can bathe an entire room in RGB lighting. The 54-inch-tall vertical light strip can connect to your desktop or mobile device via 2.4GHz or Bluetooth, and is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant if you want to bundle it with an existing home automation hub. Without pairing the floor lamp with third-party lighting software, it still has 58 built-in lighting themes and can sync its lighting to music playback on your phone. The Govee LED Floor Lamp is currently available at Amazon for $69.99, or can be purchased directly from Govee for $64.99.
The Govee Glide RGBIC Lighting Kit is one of the most elegant RGB lighting applications available today. Instead of visible LEDs, the Govee Glide consists of rigid, interlocking 12-inch sections that are covered to provide a more even and diffuse lighting solution. The straight sections can also be connected with corner pieces to create more elaborate designs. The base kit comes with six straight sections of lighting and a single corner piece and can be found at Amazon or Govee for $89.99, but larger sets with additional parts are also available.
The Logitech Litra Beam LX is a highly versatile lighting solution that is compatible with the Logitech G software suite. The 15.7-inch dual-sided light bar has RGB lighting on one side, while the other side offers diffused white light that can be adjusted to different temperatures using the Logitech software or the buttons built into the top. The Litra Beam LX comes with a highly adjustable freestanding base that allows the light bar to be oriented laterally or vertically, but it also has a small threaded mount so it can be attached to a boom arm or similar third-party solution. The Litra Beam LX is available for $128.99 from Amazon And Walmartor $134.99 from Best buy.
The latest addition to Govee’s range of interlocking lighting panels, the Glide Hexagon Ultra Light Panels are their most expensive and impressive option yet. Each panel features a total of 129 individual LEDs, allowing for a wider variety of lighting themes and greater customisation. Although each individual panel is a hexagon, the Y-shaped notch in the centre divides each hexagonal panel into three sections, giving them the appearance of a cube and adding some extra dimension. The Ultra Light Panels are available in white or grey and come in packs of 10, which are available from Amazon And Govee for $349.99.
Unlike the other options on our list, the Elgato Key Light Air doesn’t feature RGB lighting. Instead, the Elgato Key Light Air is designed to provide an easily adjustable white light source at different temperatures for streaming or photography. This eliminates harsh shadows and ensures that every side is your good side. The Key Light Air comes with a highly adjustable freestanding base, but the ball and socket mount can also be used with various external boom arms or other mounting solutions.
While the Key Light Air can be used alone, it can also be used in conjunction with other Elgato lighting systems and controlled remotely via the Elgato mobile app or using one of Elgato’s Stream Deck accessories. The Key Light Air is available at Amazon, Best buyAnd B&H photo for $129.99.
If you want your lighting to reflect the on-screen action, there are plenty of solutions for desktop gamers. Software suites from Razer, Logitech, and Corsair can sample a portion of your monitor in real time and adjust all connected lighting. But what if you want the same functionality for console gaming or just watching movies? That’s where options like the Govee T1 Pro Backlight come in.
The T1 Pro is a system that consists of a small camera attached to a hub that connects to a pair of freestanding light bars and a 150-inch light strip that attaches to the back of your TV. The downward-facing camera sits on top of your screen and adjusts the attached lighting based on what it sees. While this system is optimally designed for screens between 55 and 65 inches, the T1 Pro will attempt to mimic the on-screen palette of whatever you place it next to. You can currently pick up the T1 Pro at Amazon And Govee for about $90.
Govee bulbs are a great way to transform any desk lamp or other generic lighting fixture into addressable RGB lighting that can integrate with Razer Synapse or Corsair iCue software suites, in addition to Alexa and Google Home automation hubs. While similar options are available from LIFX, Philips Hue, and other smart lighting manufacturers, Govee bulbs are consistently the most affordable and offer features comparable to their more expensive counterparts. Currently, some Govee bulbs are available from Amazon for $12.99, but can also be purchased in bundles of up to six if you need a more comprehensive solution.
The Govee RGBIC Gaming Light Bars are a pair of unassuming, desktop-mounted 16.7-inch vertical light bars that can be customized using the Govee app, a desktop software package, or the included lighting dial. Fully compatible with Corsair iCue or Razer Synapse, the RGBIC Light Bars can also be synced to an available audio stream independently of third-party software, making them equally at home tethered to your desktop or used as a standalone lighting solution. If you’re looking to add the RGBIC Gaming Light Bars to your setup, they’re currently available for $69.99 from Amazon or $73.99 from Govee.
