NZXT HUE 2 RGB Ambient Lighting Kit V2 Review: Feel the Glow

The HUE 2 RGB Ambient Lighting Kit, Version 2

Addressable LEDs and Software add Ambient Effects to Any Monitor

NZXT released version 2 of their HUE 2 Ambient RGB Lighting Kit back in March, with this new version offering improvements to the installation process. We have had this new version on hand since launch and it was high time we put it to good use on a monitor.

The idea of this product is to provide ambient lighting based on what is currently on the display, and it does this with RGB lighting strips, a dedicated controller, and NZXT’s CAM software. Users can select between lighting modes, and if you prefer to design your own background color scheme you can certainly do that as well.

The HUE 2 Ambient RGB Kit V2 offers these updates to the original (via NZXT):

• Stronger Adhesive: Upgraded the 3M LED strip adhesive backing tape to be thicker and stickier. It is more compatible with the different surfaces and textures of monitors on the market.
• L-Shape Corner Connector: For easier setup, we replaced the 150mm corner connectors to an L-shape corner connector for the top left and bottom right of your monitor.
• Alcohol Wipes: As your monitor may be dusty or dirty, we added alcohol-based cleaning wipes so you can clean the back of the monitor before adhering the LED strips.

Installation

After cleaning up the back of our test monitor with the included wipes it was a simple matter to lay out the various length RGB strips to provide the best perimeter coverage, and then, one by one, peel back the top layer of the adhesive strips and secure everything in place.

The controller itself can be mounted back here too, if desired, and I used the included velcro strips to do just that.

Now everything was secured, and the whole process only took a few minutes once I decided which length strips to use. The L-shaped connectors helped make my finished result very clean and organized, and I was impressed by how simple this process was. But how well did it work?

Usage Impressions

With the USB and power cables connected I fired up my test system and installed the latest version of the CAM software. It goes without saying that if you happen to own any other compatible NZXT devices you can control everything from the same place, but in this instance I just had the Hue 2 Ambient installed.

Choosing different colors between my two installed zones worked as advertised, but what about the ambient effect? For this a quick calibration is needed. Simply follow the on screen prompts to identify which zone are lit around the perimeter, and with this process complete the monitor’s image is now controlling the RGB effect.

It’s pretty straightforward, and it does work pretty well. We’re dealing with just a few RGB lights per zone, so don’t expect a high resolution interpretation of what’s on screen. The effect is diffuse and pleasant, and the system provides a nice glow to correspond to the on-screen action.

Conclusion

Is ambient lighting for your monitor necessary? Of course not! But it’s cool, and it works. If you want to add this effect to your monitor the kit comes in two versions; one supporting smaller 21 – 25 inch conventional monitors as well as ultrawides up to 35 inches, and the other for larger conventional monitors of 26 to 32 inches.

The Hue 2 Ambient V2 kit retails for $109.99, though it is currently selling for just $79.99 on Amazon. The kit provides a polished product that’s easy to use, making this far more accessible than DIY solutions. It’s not for everyone, but if you like the idea of ambient lighting – and it’s pretty impressive in person, I won’t lie – this is a nicely designed product that gets the job done without much effort.