If the Mini Panel Lights that I reviewed in last week’s Living In My GameSpace were Govee’s attempt at testing a retro-style aesthetic, then their Gaming Pixel Light is a full-on brute force assault on the retro scene. Whether you plan to place them on your desk, a shelf, or mount them on the wall, the Gaming Pixel Light will have you reminiscing about your favorite 8- and 16-bit games. Let’s take a look and see if the Gaming Pixel Light has what it takes to live in my GameSpace.
Specifications
- Price: Large: $139.99, Small: $119.99
- Size: Large: 8.46” x 5.31” x 1.38”, Small: 5.31” x 5.31” x 1.38”
- Number Of Lights: Large: 1664 (52 x 32 grid), Small: 1024 (32 x 32 grid)
- Control: Bluetooth and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
- Compatibility: Govee App, Alexa, Google Assistant
- Speaker: 3W
- Power Input: 12V 1.5A adapter
The Govee Gaming Pixel Light comes in two size options. The larger of the two has a 52×32 pixel grid (1,664 LED lights) and measures 8.46” x 5.31”, while the smaller option has a 32×32 grid (1,024 LEDs), giving it a square form factor of 5.31” x 5.31”. Each display comes with a small stand for use on a desk or shelf, as well as a removable mount for wall placement. The wall mount adds almost 1.5” to the depth of the display (to accommodate the power cord connector), and is held snug to the wall with a single screw. I generally prefer to hang things with mounting tape, but the design of the mount would probably make this impossible (I didn’t try it).
The frame boasts a strong gaming aesthetic, featuring sharp angles and a colorway of green, black, and gray that shares a similar, yet muted, look with the Govee x Evangelion Gaming Wall Lights. I have mentioned before that Govee’s light panels can be used as wall decoration in any room of your house, but the Gaming Pixel Light’s design will keep it confined to your gaming room or man cave.
Along with the gamer accents on the sides of the display, you’ll find a few control buttons along the top edge. Along with the power button, there is a volume button (press and hold to mute), a Scene Carousel Mode button that starts and pauses GIFs, and a shortcut button to bring up a default screen that can be configured in the Govee App. You can also control the Gaming Pixel Light’s rudimentary functions with voice commands through the Govee App, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
To get full access to everything the Gaming Pixel Light has to offer, you’ll need to dig into the Govee Home App. As always, there are numerous options within the app to help you configure and control the unit. Anyone familiar with the Govee App will be able to quickly switch between scenes, set up a playlist and timer, and adjust brightness and sound levels.
The real power of the Gaming Pixel Light is found within the DIY and AI sections of the app. AI does exactly what you’d expect; give it a prompt, such as “meteor shower” or “sunset over the ocean,” and the app will do its best to create a scene. I found the results to be a mixed bag; I always knew what the app was trying to create, but working with the low fidelity of pixel art can be challenging, and the app doesn’t always get it right.
AI tries, but Pac-Man is too hard to create
A true pixel artist will have more luck with the built-in DIY tools. You can create a static image from scratch or upload your own photos. Just be prepared to perform some quick touch-up work to achieve the best possible image. GIFs can also be created or uploaded, with a maximum of 100 frames per design. The display runs at 30 frames per second, giving your GIFs movie-quality playback. Again, the AI doesn’t always do a great job at converting GIFs, so if you aren’t ready to tackle some DIY work, you can hit up the Share Space tab in the app and download other users’ creations.
For anyone seeking an authentic retro experience, the Gaming Pixel Light features a built-in speaker on the back of the unit. The 3W speaker isn’t meant to be a standalone audio system, but it can play an 8-bit tune just as well as an old Commodore 64. The app includes several audio tracks and sound effects, and you can also upload your own MP3, WAV, or OGG files, with a 10 MB size limit.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a big fan of pixel art, then the Govee Gaming Pixel Light will most definitely receive a 10 out of 10 rating. It comes packed with over 150 pre-selected scenes, and any DIYer can create their own images or animations right in the Govee App. Not ready to create your own pixel art? No worries; you can download images and GIFs from the internet and Govee’s AI will convert them to work (sometimes better than others) with the light. There’s even the option to use Govee’s Share Space to quickly add content created by other DIYers (like the Baby Yoda GIF above). There are also a handful of useful built-in “apps,” such as a clock, a stopwatch, a weather display, and a stock ticker. All in all, you’re sure to find something to display.
As for the Gaming Pixel Light’s look, the choice of going with a modern gaming aesthetic for the display’s frame feels a bit odd to me. We’re embracing the retro look here, so I’d rather go all-in with an ‘80s or ‘90s look. Govee has a plethora of 8-bit consoles and arcade cabinets to draw inspiration from, and I’m sure they could have come up with something more fitting.
Unless you are ready to hang the Gaming Pixel Light on your wall, the biggest concern is whether you have the desk space for the display. I have a 60” desk and my computer sits on the floor, leaving me enough space to display a Gaming Pixel Light on each side of my 34” ultrawide monitor. Someone with a smaller desk or a dual-monitor setup may have to find a shelf for the display. And don’t forget that the displays are corded, so you will need a nearby power outlet as well. If they came with a rechargeable battery, things wouldn’t be as complicated.
Ultimately, I’m not sure the Gaming Pixel Light has the same draw as other Govee lighting options. Unlike other light kits, the Gaming Pixel Light isn’t really a light source; it’s solely a piece of art. They are perfect if you want to place a pixel display amongst your Funko Pops and other collectibles, and they could be a nice way to let everyone at the office know you are a gamer at your core. Beyond that, though, the novelty of trying out different GIFs wore off after a few hours, leaving the Gaming Pixel Light destined to be an overpriced clock on my desk.
