WiZ HDMI Sync Box & TV-lightstrip

Here at Gamereactor, we're pretty big fans of the Philips Hue range. So are others, and that goes for dexterity, reliability, versatility, and build quality, but as so many others keep pointing out, there's a price to pay, literally.

An 8K Sync Box will still set you back a couple of grand for the box alone, which of course must be accompanied by a Play Gradient Lightstrip itself. As Mario Rwanda says in Mandrilen; "it adds up", but now they are launching a more price-conscious alternative through their budget-friendly subsidiary Wiz.

A starter kit for 55-65" TVs costs £70, so we're really talking about a fraction of the price level otherwise, and the concept itself is virtually identical. It's the same 3-sided lightstrip with disposable stickers that can easily be glued to the back of the TV, and just by running the HDMI cable through it, the content's colour chemistry and lighting conditions are "read" in each individual scene and each individual sequence, so the light show on the back matches.

Of course there are sacrifices, that's clear. For example, this is HDMI 2.0, not 2.1, which means that by running a PS5 or Xbox Series through it, you sacrifice the possibility of 4K/120Hz, or 8K (although that in itself has proven to be a fart in the wind). Instead, you're limited to 4K/60fps, which is plenty in 99% of cases, and that's with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

There are four settings: Cinematic, Vibrant, Relaxation, and Rhythmic. This is actually a pretty good idea and presents different levels of intensity and rhythm in the presentation of colours, although they all adapt to what's actually on screen. There's WI-FI and Bluetooth, and if you have other Wiz lights in your home, they can synchronise. Traditionally, there is no crossover with Hue, which is still a bit of an obstacle and a bit absurd when they come from the same place.

Beyond that, there's pretty much everything you could ask for here. The lighting effect is powerful, intense, and perfectly accentuated by the content on the screen. We tested both Forza Horizon 5 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on PS5 during the test period and were extremely pleased with how dynamic and responsive the colours were, especially considering how cheap a starter kit is.

And with support for both Alexa and Google Home, you're future-proofed, and as we've said before, the Wiz app isn't bad either. The only thing you sacrifice is, funnily enough, future-proofing, as 4K/120Hz may eventually become more established, and you simply won't be able to do that by running your console through this box.