The exposed walls of my bedroom – with sporadic little prints, but without lights, I would add some talent to my usual nerd living space. When I saw it at CES 2025, the Govee Gaming Pixel Light seemed to fit that bill well. The professional monitor isn’t enough to display my favorite 8 or 16-bit art in the best quality, and it won’t produce enough audio to make anything more complicated than classic wood. If the digital art and speakers on my desk don’t have the sport cringey decals and frames, this will make visitors assume I’m scrambling with the game fuel for breakfast, it would be the perfect antidote for my dull apartment.
Govee Super silver. Her firm, neglected VICAGE helped me through my busy days. Neither the $120 32×32 and $140 52×32 pixel frames take much effort, although the digital wall or table artwork lacks batteries and requires plugging into a socket. Once connected through the Govee Home app, you will have multiple default and user-made effects to add to your screen. Yes, you can stick a static image on the screen, but the real fun comes from showing the scenes you like 8-, 16 or maybe a few more 32-bit retro games.
Govee game pixel light
It can do what needs to be done, but the limited color limits what it can display.
advantage
- Bright enough to work in most environments
- Various arts in use
- 30 fps on GIF provides fast 8-bit images
shortcoming
- Player aesthetics are not suitable for everyone
- Lo-fi speakers
- Pixel Art has limited color range
Depending on the complexity of the image, it may be more difficult for pixel light to display the color accuracy of each pixel. The smaller device contains 1,024 lights, while the 52×32 version of Sports 1,664. $155 Divoom Pixoo-64 (competing pixel light with 64×64 pixel fields) supports 4,096. The ET’s 32×32 pixel image looks great on smaller pixel lights, but an 8-bit portrait made by fans from Arielle Little Mermaid It looks great on my phone, lacking the color definition needed to show exquisite features on my nose or hair. The more obvious the color, the better each image or GIF will be. The screen is bright enough on its highest settings, but if you want to sleep without a pixelated rainbow of light gleaming, you can set it to dim or turn off the timer.
Images look slightly better on a larger display due to their wider color range, but you still need to try out various images until you find one that suits your style. You can also upload your own artwork into the Govee app, although any photos you take from your phone will exude a spotted and incoherent attitude on the pixel lights. You may find that uploading your own pixel art may produce different results. I had to try several different versions of Samus before finding the Galaxy that didn’t look bad. GIF plays 30 fps, which makes Sonic’s classic rotating leg running animation look smoother. Similar products from Divoom run at 24 fps.
The device includes a rear 3W DSP speaker that pairs your favorite chips with this artwork. The built-in speakers aren’t enough to fill the sound, but even without much bass, it’s enough to provide a retro feel as if I’m listening to games on the old monogaming boy speakers. The device itself has a button for controlling the volume, without a physical mute button, which means you will be forced to load into the app to adjust the sound. All of this means I’m more likely to avoid music altogether. After all, if you plan to use the Govee Pixel Light to lay out your game room, you will eventually listen to the games you play.
If you are the type to pick up a brush, you can create your own art and animated gifs using sketch mode. Of course, it’s easier to use with a stylus, but I don’t have the time, patience or ability to outline something better than an artist who does pixel art to make a living. The device has almost too many modes, from clock functionality to stocks in stock. There is even a rebuttal that tells you the current price of Bitcoin, as if you really need to be aware of the crypto price on the fun, cute pixel display.
Pixel Light seems to think gamers want a very specific aesthetic, one filled with cyberpunk-style hard-edged outlines and decal readings “Loading” and “Game”. What I really need is a black frame. Art is the reason you buy Govee’s first real gamer product. But if I like it, then damn I would brag about the theme of the magma cave from the table, as if my bedroom needs more galactic art.
