Philips Hue revamps its Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for 8K

It’s been five years since Philips Hue unveiled its TV-and-light-syncing HDMI box, and now Hue is back with a beefier version that supports the 8K video churned out by the latest gaming consoles. 

Besides its revamped HDMI syncing box, Philips Hue is rolling out some other updates at IFA in Berlin this week, including—at last—compatibility for its Hue Secure camears with Alexa and Google Home, plus word that controlling multiple Hue Bridges is about to get easier. 

On sale now for $349.99, the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K does just that: it syncs your Hue lights with the images on your smart TV. 

This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lights.

As before, your HDMI video sources connect to inputs on the rear of the unit, while an HDMI output passes the video along to your TV. The HDMI Sync Box can sync up to 10 Hue lights with the images it receives from your video inputs, including streaming video players, game consoles, and UHD Blu-ray players. 

Philips Hue

Philips Hue

Philips Hue

One of the limitations of the original Hue Play HDMI Sync Box was that it only supported the HDMI 2.0 standard, which put a crimp in its gaming performance. 

Not only could the first-gen HDMI Sync Box not handle 8K video, it couldn’t deal with 4K video at 120Hz, a problem when it comes to current-generation gaming consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, which can churn out 4K/120Hz visuals without breaking a sweat. 

Luckily, the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K does support HDMI 2.1, meaning it can process 4K video at 120Hz as well as 8K images at 60Hz. 

Alongside the new Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K, Philips said its Hue Secure cameras will now work with Alexa and Google Home, meaning you’ll be able to view live Hue Secure camera feeds on devices such as the Amazon Echo Show and the Google Nest Hub, as well as in the Alexa and Google Home app. 

Hue Secure feeds still can’t be viewed from the Apple Home app—and as for Matter, it’s worth noting that the latest Matter standard still lacks support for security cameras. 

Also new will be the ability for Hue Secure users to set daily routines for arming and disarming their Hue Secure systems, while a Battery Saver option will help extend the life of Hue’s battery-powered cameras. 

Meanwhile, Philips Hue is again promising relief for those with multiple Hue Bridges in their homes.  

An update to the Hue app will allow users with multiple Bridges to manage and control them—along with all their associated devices—from a single view.

While the current Hue app can support multiple Bridges, it can only control one Bridge at a time, and lights connected to one Bridge can’t be grouped with devices on another. 

The Hue app update should arrive “later this year,” Hue said. 

More and customizable lighting effects are coming to the Hue app as well, plus a “do not disturb” feature that will keep motion sensors from changing the light scene in a room when they detect movement. 

Finally, the Hue Ensis pendant light will be making landfall in the States. 

Philips Hue

Philips Hue

Philips Hue

Equipped with two individually controllable lights, the Ensis pendant will be available in black and white flavors. 

The Ensis is on sale now for $479.99.