Philips Hue Play Sync box 2.0 is 8K and HDMI 2.1 – now you're talking

Last week we reported that the 8K version of Hue's Play Sync box was preparing to launch, and that we expected it to cost more than the current model. We were right on both counts. The new Sync is official, and it's got a higher price to match the higher specification.

The new box is called the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K. It has four HDMI 2.1 connections – if you need to connect more than four devices you'll need an HDMI splitter – and supports resolutions and refresh rates of up to 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz with support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. And the price is £299.

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K: what's new

If you look very closely you'll see a few minor design differences: the new box is very slightly wider, longer and deeper than the existing 4K version, it has a USB-C connection rather than micro-USB and there's a factory reset round the back. 

You can sync up to 10 lights with your Hue box, including gradient lights and light bars from the Hue Play range. As before the sync box requires a Hue Bridge to connect to your lights.

If you're wondering why a light syncing system needs to care about resolution, it doesn't – but your TV does. The upgrade to 4K/120 and 8K/60 means that any connected devices that support those resolutions won't have their signals downgraded as they pass through the Hue box, so the full HDMI 2.1 information will reach your TV from your Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. I'm hoping the upgrade will also solve the occasional disconnection errors I'm getting via the 4K box on my PS5, which tend to happen at the worst possible moments during Helldivers 2.

There's no doubt that the Play box is expensive, even more so than before. But as a long term owner of the current model I do think that it's one of the best smart lighting systems for your TV, with one of the best companion apps too.