Your next movie night could look very different with these new Philips Hue lamps

Smart lighting has come a long way from simply turning bulbs on and off with an app. These days, the goal is to make lighting feel like part of the experience, whether you’re watching a movie, grinding through a gaming session, or just trying to make your living room feel homely after sunset.

That’s the direction Philips Hue is taking with its latest additions to the lineup. The company has unveiled new Play table and floor lamps designed to bring synchronized lighting effects into more corners of your home, alongside upgraded smart candle bulbs that promise better efficiency and more natural-looking light.

The new Play lamps are designed to make your room feel more connected to whatever you’re watching or listening to. Say you’re spending a lazy Sunday watching your comfort show — the lighting can subtly shift with the scenes on screen. Later in the evening, when you switch to a music playlist while unwinding on the couch, the lamps can adjust to match the mood again.

What’s particularly nice is the flexibility — the lamps are designed to fit into existing spaces, allowing users to add immersive lighting effects without rearranging an entire room around a giant LED setup.

Of course, the real magic happens when the lamps are paired with the broader Hue ecosystem. They can sync with compatible TV and PC apps, and HDMI devices through Philips Hue’s existing synchronization tools.

While the new lamps are the eye-catching part of the lineup, the upgraded candle bulbs are likely to be more useful for most people. Philips Hue says the new bulbs can produce a wider range of white light tones, making it easier to switch between a warm, cozy glow for winding down at night and a brighter, daylight-like setting for mornings or focused work sessions.

For example, you might want a soft amber tone while watching Netflix in the evening, then have the same bulb automatically shift to a cooler, brighter light when you’re working.

The company is claiming a 40% boost in efficiency, with the new candle bulbs consuming considerably less power than the previous generation. They now support Matter as well, making them easier to integrate into mixed smart-home setups that include products from multiple brands.

The new Play table lamp, Play floor lamp, and upgraded candle bulbs are rolling out in the US this month through the Philips Hue website and select retailers. You probably won’t rush out to replace every lamp and bulb in your house straight away, but for Hue fans looking to expand their setup, these new products offer a few compelling reasons to do so.