Cody has been a gamer ever since his family got a Sega Genesis when he was five-years-old. In addition to his love of narrative-focused RPGs and ho... Read more
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
There are a lot of different design elements to consider when setting up a gaming room, but the first thing most people will notice when they walk through the door is the lighting. Vibrant accent lights can really set a gaming room apart and allow you to give it that little bit of flair that really makes it your own. That said, finding the best wall (or ambient) lights for your gaming room setup can be tricky.
There are a ton of different options out there. Some of them need to be mounted on the walls or meticulously taped into hidden corners, while others can simply be plugged in and then they’re good to go. The good news is that there are options in virtually every price range—and we’ve spent a lot of time going through all of them.
In no particular order, here are 10 of the best RGB lights for your gaming room.
10. LED Strips
First up on our list of the best wall lights for your gaming room, we have LED strips. These offer some of the most versatile lighting solutions.
They’re basically long strips of LED lights that you can adhere to almost any surface. You can run them along doorframes and wall trim. Alternatively, you can put them behind shelves and displays. You can even use them to outline furniture such as a desk, table, or couch.
There’s a wide range of different kinds too. You can get cheaper ones for as little as $14, but some of the higher-end ones come with some really cool extra features. The Philips Hue Smart Lightstrip, for instance, is significantly brighter than standard LED strips, casts blended colors to get unique lighting effects, and is compatible with Alexa, Apple Homekit, and Google Home.
There’s also the Govee RGBIC Gaming Lights, which provide a smooth, even strip of light that diffuses the hotspots that are commonly found in most cheaper LEDs. It also has a variety of different lighting effects that can either be controlled by using the Govee app or by synching the lights with Razer Chroma.
9. Neon Signs
Next on our list of the best wall lights for your gaming room setup is neon signs. These are as easy to hang as a picture frame and can make the perfect accent piece. They work equally well in minimalist rooms as they do in the center of a busy display.
Even better, they come in a wide range of designs, colors, and sizes. You can find hundreds of them on Amazon and other retailers. There are generic controller designs that would work well in any gaming room, but there are also some that offer more intricate details and others that make for more interesting art pieces.
There are also a whole bunch featuring art from different gaming and pop culture properties. You can get neon lights featuring characters from Hello Kitty, Mario, Pokémon, Pac-Man, and dozens of other franchises.
These don’t really cast a lot of light onto the rest of the room, but they can bring a degree of vibrancy to a wall that simper lights can’t hope to match.
8. Ceiling Projectors
You don’t necessarily have to mount or hang a bunch of lights to get some really cool lighting effects in your gaming room. You can always just get a ceiling projector.
There are all different kinds of projectors available. Many of them are designed to project a vibrant moving image of the night sky onto your ceiling, but there are other options available as well. You can get one that creates an Aurora Borealis effect, or even one that makes your ceiling look like ocean waves.
Many of these projectors are surprisingly inexpensive, making it a cheap way to introduce some really impressive lighting effects to your gaming room.
7. Smart Lightbulbs
Got a home office that needs to be professional during the day, but that you want to be able to turn into a cool gaming room at night? One way to do that is with smart LED lightbulbs.
These little guys screw right into the lighting fixtures you already have. One of the major benefits of them is that they can be used to produce regular white light in addition to cool RGB.
There are a few cheaper options available, but Govee and Linkind both make some really nice smart bulbs. Both of them work with several different smart home solutions and have apps that can be used to control various lighting effects. This allows the user to program them on the fly, or to create schedules for different effects to kick in without needing any additional input.
6. Nanoleaf Lights
Most people who are familiar with the different lighting products available for gaming rooms have probably heard of Nanoleaf. You might have even seen them as wall lights in the background of your favorite Twitch streamer’s gaming room.
They were the first to introduce the interlocking hexagonal and triangular LED panels that have become very popular in gaming circles. The company has also produced several new designs, such as the Nanoleaf Lines which are sort of like backlit interlocking sticks.
There are a few reasons these light panels are so popular. Their interlocking designs allow you to decide how they’re linked together, so you can make them fit into your individual space. They also have unique lighting effects that are much more advanced than standard LEDs. They’re definitely on the pricey side though.
5. Light Bars
Not all lights come in cables, panels, and bulbs. Some come in in bars. These can be really good for mounting on the undersides of shelves and furniture to cast light down, or they can simply be mounted on the walls as a display.
There are a lot of different kinds of light bars. Some of them use simple white light for home decor. A lot of people like to place them on the undersides of cabinets or use them in lit displays.
Naturally, there are also some that have been designed with RGB and other features targeted towards gamers. Govee, for instance, makes modular bar lights that work with Alexa and Google Assistant.
4. Uplights
Uplights are essentially small, wall-mounted spotlights that are traditionally used to illuminate decorative elements of a room like paintings or plants. Gamers might be interested in using these lights in a similar fashion.
Do you have a shelf displaying your collection of vintage Nintendo cartridges? How about a wall-mounted sword or autographed jersey? Uplights are a cheap way to add a little extra light to the room while also drawing attention to your favorite displays.
There are plenty of RGB options out there as well. Govee makes a set of four linked sconces that can be controlled with the company’s app, or you could get a 2-pack of basic RGB lights from FZWLE if you’re looking for something more affordable.
3. RGB Corner Lamps
If you’re looking for something that you don’t have to mount, then RGB corner lamps are a great option. These are simple standing lamps that are designed to be placed in the corner of a room, though some of them have some pretty unique designs.
There are a couple of different kinds. Companies like World Win make ones that have diffusers so that the lamps themselves glow in 360 degrees, but the most popular designs are the more subtle ones.
Lamps from Govee and Tacahe are designed so that the back of the lamp faces the center of the room and the light is cast directly against the wall. These lamps create some incredibly vibrant ambient lighting effects that can do wonders for a room while still leaving only a minimal footprint. They don’t come cheap though.
2. TV/Monitor Backlights
Every gaming room needs a TV or monitor to play your games on. Some of them, like the AOC AGON Pro AG254FG, come with backlights built in, but most don’t. You can always add your own though.
Monitor backlights usually come in the form of adhesive strips that plug into an open outlet. They’re especially nice if you have your desk against a plain, white wall that will reflect the colors.
Lots of companies make affordable solid-light versions of these that can be controlled via a remote. There are smart lights like the Govee Gaming Light Strip G1 and the Govee Envisual TV LED Backlight that have multiple lighting effects and can even mimic the colors displayed on your TV against the wall behind it.
1. Floodlights
If you want to cast a lot of light for not a lot of money, then one of your best options is going to be RGB floodlights.
You can get a two-pack of 30W lights from Solla that are bright enough to light up your entire room for just $30. Other brands, like Lightnum, have floodlights that are designed for outdoor use which go all the way up to 100W.
Not only are these bright, but they can be controlled via an app that allows you to play with both brightness and color. They can also sit on the floor, or easily be mounted to a wall using the rotating hinge on the back. Brightness, affordability, and customization make these some of the best RGB lights for a gaming room.
Join the High Ground!
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best wall lights and ambient lighting options for your gaming room! Leave us a comment if there’s a kind of light you enjoy that didn’t make the list and be sure to follow us in order to stay on the High Ground.
Happy gaming!
You must sign in to comment.
Don't have an account? Sign up here!