Syncing games with Philips Hue smart lights gives your home that ol’ arcade glow

RGB lighting has taken over my life. My PC and every peripheral on my desk glows like a radioactive spill site, and I love it. Now, I’ve taken this obsession to the next level with the help of Philips Hue smart lights, which light up homes and other spaces — but I’m using to make my house feel like it’s inside a giant CRT television.

Although the Philips’ Hue lighting system is expensive, it justifies that price with powerful customization controls, intelligent routines, and free updates like the recently launched Hue Sync app. To use Philips Hue at all, you’ll need the $60 Smart Hub, and then you’ll need the LED lights. The color-capable bulbs sell for around $50 each, a LightStrip Plus is $90, and the bowl-shaped portable Hue Go lamps are $80 each. Of course, since these are LEDs, they will take decades — not months — to burnout, so I think of them as an investment.