RGB lighting has become integral to our GameSpace. Lighting can be found on virtually every PC component, like RAM, coolers, headsets, and keyboards. Outside of the PC’s case, several lighting manufacturers have expanded that RGB goodness to encompass everything from geometric wall displays to light sets that extend the action on your monitor or TV into the surrounding room. Over the last few years, I’ve reviewed several RGB lighting sets with big, bright, in-your-face displays. Today, I’m changing gears and looking at the somewhat more mellow Star Light Projector (SLP) from Govee.
Govee Star Light Projector – What Is It?
The Govee Star Light Projector is a small projector that can be placed on an end table or other flat surface. At a distance of 2.5m, the Star Light Projector can cast an 8m x 8m image, perfect for a single wall. Pacing the SLP in the corner of a room, you can expand the display across an entire room.
The Star Light Projector uses a primary projector and a secondary laser to create its lighting effects. The projector uses two RGBW beams passed through a curved lens to make the wavy shapes similar to that of an aurora effect. Although you can assign as many colors to the scene as you wish, the dual-beam system is limiting because it can only display two colors simultaneously. Hence, standard RGB transitions, like gradient, rainbow, breathe, and blink, are used to rotate between colors. Two types of movement can be added to the scene to enhance the aurora effect created by the projector. The two effects, flow and wave, add horizontal and vertical movement to the pattern.
Located below the primary projector, the secondary laser casts a star pattern into the scene. Unlike the multi-colored projector image, the star pattern can only be generated in green. It can be static, or you can add an orbit and twinkle effect to enhance the scene. Unlike the natural night sky, the star pattern produced by the SLP is uniform and offers little on its own. However, when layered in with the aurora pattern, it adds some depth to the overall effect.
To further enhance the ambiance of a scene, the Star Light Projector has a white noise maker that outputs white noise through a built-in speaker. The speaker can also be linked to your mobile phone through Bluetooth to act as an external speaker. We’re talking about a typical mini Bluetooth speaker here. Don’t expect audiophile quality, but it is good enough to play white noise or your favorite playlist as you fall asleep.
Creating Your Scene
Taking control of the SLP is quite simple. There are basic control buttons on the back of the Star Light Projector. Along with power buttons for the lights and sound, there are buttons to change between preset scenes and white noise effects.
To access the Star Light Projector’s full functionality, you must use the Govee App. The Star Light Projector can also be linked to other home lighting systems for voice control, including Alexa, Google Assistant, and Matter.
The SLP uses the same Govee Home App as all of Govee’s other lighting products. Through the app, you can vary the effects’ brightness, colors, and speed. The app also lets you quickly and easily switch between the 50+ visual presets and 18 white noise options. There is also a DIY option to create your own scene or download one of the many scenes already created by other users.
The SLP shares several other features of Govee’s gaming-centric lights. The SLP’s RGBW lamp beads are capable of shining 16 million colors. The SLP also has a music mode to sync the lights to the rhythm of your music, and you can add it to your Dream View group to sync up with the other Govee lights in a single room or the entire house.
How Does It Look?
The SLP is similar to other products on the market, but its aurora effect has a more wavy look than the galaxy cloud effect of other projectors. Depending on the color, the SLP’s effect can take on the look of a watery look. The Star Light Projector creates a mellow, relaxed scene that can be cast onto a wall or across an entire room. It works great as a night light for your kid’s room or as a gentle alarm clock for you in the morning.
That doesn’t mean the SLP can’t be used in your game room. In fact, placing the SLP behind your chair is less distracting than a display on the wall above your desk. And since it uses the Govee app and has many of the same features as their gaming-centric lighting, it is a far cheaper option if you are on a tight budget.
But does that mean that the Star Light Projector is a good value? The SLP’s $69.99 price tag looks enticing compared to Govee’s other projector, the $139.99 Galaxy Light Projector Pro. But we’re really talking about two different beasts here. The SLP is a one-trick pony, capable of creating an aurora effect, whereas the GLPP comes with multiple disks that display a variety of cosmic scenes that include planets, stars, and other celestial bodies.
When compared to similar projectors, the SLP has some competition. I personally like the aurora effect of the SLP, and I find value in the SLP’s integration with the rest of my Govee lights. But Amazon is full of $20-$40 projectors, so you may be able to find a cheaper product with an effect that you are happy with, especially if it’s the only RGB lighting you have in the house.
