It follows the same concept as the Flow Pro Light Bar, where it has two light bars that go on each side of your computer screen, combined with a fish-eye lens camera that sits on top of your screen. The camera scans for colors on your screen and tries to reproduce them from the light lines. Additionally, with the G1 Pro, you also get a tube-like LED light strip that attaches to the back of your screen, which also reproduces the colors on your screen. Like most Govee products, initial setup is rather simple. Generally, Govee products have a control box that acts as the brain of the operation, and all the cables from the lights and camera are connected directly to the control box. This time around, Govee got rid of a separate control box and added its fish-eye camera functionality, a welcome change that allows for a less cluttered look on your desk. The tube-like LED strip sits behind your screen. Note: while the Flow Pro Light Bar could be used with either a TV or monitor, the G1 Pro is specifically designed for small-sized monitors, so it will only work optimally when used on a monitor. In addition, Govee makes it very clear that the light bar only fits perfectly on displays with a flat back panel. I have three monitors and none of them have a flat back, so I decided to use it with the LG Ultragear monitor. The setup looks a bit scratchy from the back, but it works nonetheless. The package includes four corner mounting clips that stick to the back of your screen at each corner, and the light pipe goes through each of them, holding it in place. Once connected, you take those tiny orange foam blocks provided and place them around the corners of the screen and let the Govee Home app do its thing. Once calibrated, these are the points the camera will look at to analyze the color on your screen and reproduce it through the light bars and connected back light tube. The resolved blocks also help the camera to register the edges of your screen so that it doesn’t scan beyond those points. The camera has a capacitive touch on/off button on top, though for all other controls, you’ll be using the Govee Home app. Govee has been consistently pushing smart lights for a while now, and I’d imagine that for a light made purely for PCs, it would have a PC app, but that’s not the case. While the Govee phone app is intuitive and its user interface is very user-friendly, especially since I’ve used the company’s lights in the past, I’d like to see a desktop app where I can control the lights, similar to Nanoleaf and Philips Hue PC apps. Application woes aside, the G1 Pro produces a very impressive light. The light bars are stylish, however, their light output is very bright and harsh, and so is the taillight. Their brightness can be adjusted from the Govee Home app, and I doubt you’ll ever get them up to a hundred. The app also lets you control the lights you want to use. The video mode (camera mode) also allows you to set some light presets depending on the activity you are doing, including “Game” and “Movie”. Under Game, you’ll find presets like Story, Action, Shooting, and Racing, all offering different brightness and speed. Whereas with the band mode, you can specify whether you want the lines to show the same colors, different colors, show the same color throughout the line, or different parts of the line show different colors. The app also gives you the ability to turn off either one or both bars while keeping the tube light on or vice versa. In my experience, the video mode can be a bit noisy at times. Although it reproduces the primary colors accurately, it mixes the tones. For example, if the scene on my computer screen shows a light green landscape with grass, the light would normally be green, mixed with some sort of yellow to give it the light green effect. Similarly, blues were often mixed with violets and reds with orange. The feature is distracting in some scenarios, such as when your attention should be on the screen, however, during more casual use, the lights can add a sense of immersion, such as when watching an animated film or playing casual games like Fall Guys or Warner Bros.’ Multiverse. Other features in the app are the same ones I’ve come to love with other Govee products, such as the Music mode which changes the light color based on audio cues, the Color mode which lets you choose independent colors for the bars and tube light and a ‘Scene’ mode with many presets. It’s worth noting that unlike the Flow Pro light bars, the G1 Pro only works with the camera, as the camera doubles as a control box, so if you’re not comfortable having a camera pointed at your screen all day, you should skip the G1 Pro. In addition to privacy, the camera also takes up space that would normally be reserved for a webcam. Overall, the lights produce a very immersive effect. While color reproduction can be a little off at times in terms of tones, it normally reproduces colors accurately and brings life to an otherwise mundane office. The compact lights are bright enough to independently illuminate your entire room, and its compatibility with Google and Alexa voice assistants is a plus. The app itself is smooth to use and offers multiple features and customization to put you in control. However, its lack of compatibility with large-screen TVs or non-flat screens on the back may be off-putting for some, so if you plan to buy the G1 Pro, make sure you have a compatible screen or you’re not okay with a scratchy rear tube setup. like mine The Govee DreamView G1 Pro Gaming Light appears to be out of stock on Govee’s Canadian webstore right now, however, it is available on their US store for $129.99 (approx. $166 CAD).
