Philips Hue Sync Box finally catches up with 120Hz TVs – but with a 4K catch
Pretty Hertz
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ThePhilips Hue Play HDMI Sync Boxis a wonderful bit of home entertainment kit, offering a connector between yoursmart TV,smart lights, and various media devices and consoles – but it’s only now that it’s getting support for 120Hz passthrough to help display thosePS5 gamesandXbox Series X gamesin the highest refresh rate possible.
While the Sync Box formerly was only able to support 60Hz images from connected consoles and4K Blu-ray players, that figure is going up to 120Hz in an upcoming software update, so that any Sync Box owner can benefit from the upgrade. The update is set to come “Fall 2021” – so likely September or October this year – and comes amid a number ofPhilips Hueupgradesincluding Spotify integration with color-changing smart bulbs.
But 120Hz is increasingly the desirable refresh rate for high-end gamers with aPS5orXbox Series Xconsole – and while relatively few games support 120Hz, it’s a good spec to have for the titles that do, ensuring smooth images far beyond what was possible on earlier consoles.
There are, however, a few limitations to this 120Hz upgrade. We’re told that “Users will be able to update their sync box to be compatible with the newest game consoles’ 120Hz support, ensuring competitive players to be on top of the game with the highest refresh rate. The sync box is able to support 120Hz with an image resolution of 1080p and 1440p. Alternatively, if the highest image resolution is preferred, the current sync box also continues to support a4Kimage resolution up to a refresh rate of 60Hz.”
So, the option is between 120Hz gameplay at 1080p/1440p, or 60Hz at4K resolution. That means you won’t get the maximum 4K/120Hz performance possible on the latest game consoles and120Hz 4K TVs, given the Sync Box doesn’t support theHDMI 2.1input specification to allow for it.
Analysis: A halfway house to HDMI 2.1
We expect this software update is something of a halfway house, improving the support available before Philips is ready to release a new hardware iteration with HDMI 2.1 ports built in. The current Sync Box was released in October 2019, so it’s very possible we could see another version shortly – within the next year, that is – though we’re asking Philips for clarification on this point, and wouldn’t be surprised if the hardware took a little longer than that still.
If you’re after that HDMI 2.1 spec, then, it’s probably best to make sure your console-connected Sync Box isn’t reducing the capabilities of your HDMI 2.1 TV.
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You might also want to check out the capabilities ofHDMI on PS5.
Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.
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