- Nanoleaf has launched a new screen-mirroring light system for gaming PCs
- It connects to your PC via USB-C instead of using a camera on the screen
- This should mean less latency and better color reproduction
Nanoleaf, maker of some of the best smart lights we've tested here at TechRadar, has launched a new light strip designed to make PC gaming more immersive, by bathing the wall behind your monitor in a wash of color that shifts to mirror what's happening on screen. And it's much cheaper than you might expect.
The idea is that, like an Ambilight TV, the light strip effectively blurs the edges of the screen by extending its colors, helping you feel more involved in the action.
Many of the best Ambilight alternatives (such as the Nanoleaf 4D and the Govee Flow Pro Wi-Fi TV Smart Bars) can do this with any screen, including TVs and PC monitors, but these usually work by using a camera to monitor the changing colors. This can work fine in optimum lighting conditions, but reflections on the screen can throw things off, and there's always a slight delay before the lights behind your TV change color to match.
With Nanoleaf's new PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip, that should no longer be a problem because the system connects directly to your PC via USB-C, and picks up the data being sent to your monitor. It's very similar to the way a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box intercepts the HDMI signal being sent to your TV, and uses it to provide real-time synced backlighting.
How to order
As Notebookcheck explains, the system also does away with the awkward brackets that make many light strips tricky to fit onto the back of TVs and monitors. Instead, it has a zig-zag shape that lets it easily bend around corners. It's compatible with monitors up to 32 inches, and can be cut to fit smaller ones.
The PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip is controlled using Nanoleaf's desktop software, which is available for Windows and macOS, but at the time of writing it's not compatible with the Nanoleaf mobile app.
It's available to pre-order now direct from Nanoleaf for $49.99 in the US, £39.99 in the UK, and orders should be delivered by the end of March so you won't have to wait long. The company hasn't yet announced pricing or a launch date for Australia.
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