Signify has officially announced its new Philips Hue Play Wall Washer light, which was previously leaked by Amazon UK earlier this month. The company has also launched its new Philips Hue AI assistant in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, with a broader global release expected by the end of August.
Available now in Europe, the US, and Canada in a black or white finish, the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is $219.99 for a single unit or $384.99 for a two-pack, which is slightly cheaper than the $270 for a single unit suggested in the leak. That’s still quite a bit more expensive than the $89.99 Philips Hue Light Bar that offers similar functionality, but the new Wall Washer is over twice as bright, projecting up to 1,035 lumens of white or colored light.
Featuring an aluminum matte finish, the Wall Washer uses LEDs angled upwards to cast a wider dispersion of light and its intensity, brightness, and position can be adjusted using an “intuitive 3D drag-and-drop feature in the Hue app,” so it shines exactly where you need it. It also works with the Hue HDMI Sync box and Sync apps so the light responds and complements what you’re watching or listening to, and is compatible with voice assistants, including Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant.
First announced earlier this year, Philips Hue’s new generative AI assistant creates new lighting scenes, or recommends existing ones, based on prompts that are either spoken or typed into the Hue app, like “Give me a scene for a spooky Halloween party.” The assistant can also be used to adjust the brightness and color settings of Hue lights, while additional features like creating automations and schedules, and “in-app support via a chatbot,” are coming “later this year,” according to Hue.