Govee AI Sync Box Kit 2 review

From wall lamps and curtains to glowing geometric shapes and objects whose names seem to refer to rolls or vegetables, Govee offers a gigantic catalog of (often discounted) shrewd lighting options. There’s always something you wish a product could do better, and it’s nice when someone listens to you. The result of one such wish is the Govee AI Sync Box Kit 2.

Govee AI Sync Box Kit 2 is the successor to the reactive RGB solution from several years ago. It’s a elastic monitor airy strip, two lighting towers and a solid hub consisting of one part: an HDMI switch and one part: a processor. You also get good quality HDMI cables.

Reactive lighting uses hardware or software to transform colors on a screen into a energetic airy show that can react to the image in real time. The result is a tender and immersive atmosphere that responds to scenes from games and movies.

This technology has been known for decades. However, with WiFi-enabled lighting everywhere, Govee AI Sync Box Kit 2 can technically power an entire solution that includes lamps, wall decorations, string lights, and spotlights. The utilize of artificial intelligence aims to balance the traditionally high CPU load needed to reflect specific in-game actions, without requiring collaboration between individual game developers.

The setup for this kit is identical to the last Sync Box kit I used previously. While there are many similarities, there are some key differences. Currently, LED strip lights require 75 bulbs per meter. We can’t count the bulbs in the airy towers, but the entire package now supports RGBWIC: brilliant white LEDs that expand the color temperature range.

But I never had a problem with the observable lack of LEDs on the senior model. My problem was the lack of DisplayPort output on the main hub. Because the box acts as an intermediary between the graphics card and the monitor, it locks popular gaming displays beyond Nvidia G-Sync, creating a conundrum: immersive reactive lighting or silky-smooth images.

Competitive players using high refresh rates and low resolutions were fine, while the lighting was distracting and made the enemy flash bang seem disturbingly real. For those who wanted to add extra charm to their single-player adventures, the compromise was not welcome.

With no support for VRR solutions, I retired my original kit. Considering the asking price of over £200, it was a demoralizing decision, comparable to removing an extra monitor to tidy up the space. Fortunately, all five ports on the Govee AI Sync Box Kit 2 are HDMI 2.1. G-Sync, Freesync, VRR and ALLM are all fair game. Ultrawide 1440p displays can reach 240Hz with 144Hz supported in 4K resolution. Above this peak is 60 Hz.

Still, the 34-inch length of the LED strips means anyone using the Samsung Odyssey Ark can forget about it. A version for larger screens is available in select regions. You don’t get the airy towers, but you do get the hub and strips. This is because the towers are designed to sit away from the screen at the same height, extending the glow beyond the taillights.

Unlike Corsair’s LT100 airy towers, the base of the tower is not illuminated. So, while the lighting may extend across the entire wall, you won’t have flares extending across the length of your desk. Since there’s no way to select specific parts of the screen to download, manually matching towers to your allies’ and enemies’ resource bars is confined to what’s officially supported by the phone app.

Speaking of the app, it is required for setup. Want to connect multiple devices via Dreamview? You need the PC software, but only after enabling LAN control via your phone. Problem? Despite mentioning Dreamview in the box, the app states that Sync Box does not support LAN.

I always had problems with Govee’s intricate software solutions, but this was enough. The needy English wording of this sloppy app only makes things worse. You also need to go to the app to enable profiles for supported games. They will not turn on automatically. Still, reactive lighting support is available once everything is connected.

In addition to its AI capabilities that generate ambient lighting profiles based on keywords, the hub’s four HDMI 2.1 inputs and eARC output could make it an crucial piece of your desktop gaming setup. You can connect current consoles and streaming devices, eliminating the need to swap cables on monitors with confined I/O, bringing immersive reactive lighting to more than just PC gaming.

While realistically I can only airy them against a set of brown blinds, which is understandably stupid, in the name of science I dug out a pristine white projector screen.

Result? Bright and fascinating, reactive lighting that wonderfully reflects the heated glow of the forge (and the fire of Fatalis) in Monster Hunter World or the chilly of a snowy climate. The pop-up colors of the crazy Overwatch match looked just as good. Even the smoothly moving landscape of Hyrule in Echoes of Wisdom on a connected console was an added pleasure.

There is still a noticeable lag, and transitions may seem sudden and staggered. But when you’re not actively looking for flaws and actually lose yourself in the entertainment on screen, the result is happy and pleasing to the eyes. Especially in a murky room.

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The Govee AI Sync Box Kit 2 solves most of the main problems with the first one and most of my gripes. The lights are brighter, more colorful and even. The Hub is no longer a bottleneck for steep hardware, supporting higher resolutions and frame rates, as well as fancy ambient lighting to enhance immersion. There’s still no DisplayPort support, so you’ll still be giving up on Nvidia G-Sync without an HDMI 2.1 monitor.

But there’s still the question of how steep it is. Since the box is the original thorn in the side, why they don’t sell it as a standalone upgrade is irritating. If you haven’t found any fault with your original lights, at almost $300/£300 it’s a lot of money to fix one bad one. At least there’s a diminutive chance you’ll have to throw it in the trash if you buy another monitor.

Is this the best solution to the problem of reactive lighting? For some it might be so. Bright LEDs aid create a mesmerizing display with greater clarity than before when set against a mostly white surface. A powerful HDMI switch alone can solve the annoying problem of your entire gaming desk.

However, if your desk is strictly for PC gaming, Corsair’s iCUE system still feels like a more premium offering with better build quality, additional lighting zones, cleaner software experience, and a more manageable price.