Elgato Light Strips – Smart RGB-LED light strips for more atmosphere

LED strips are now a popular option for visually enhancing your own setup and bringing atmosphere into the room. Whether for gaming or work: Ambient lighting has a positive effect on your own mood and can help you relax and reduce stress or significantly increase productivity. Now there are already several manufacturers such as Philips etc. but especially for Elgato’s target group and for people who want to stay in the Elgato or Corsair Ecosystem and would like to control everything with an app, software etc., the Elgato Light Strips are just right .

Elgato Light Strips – content and design

The LED strip is located in the box. This is 2 m long, 12 mm wide and 3 mm thick. If that is too long for you, you can cut the LED strips at the marked points and shorten the Elgato Light Strips accordingly. It is also possible to extend this in length. A simple look at the instructions is sufficient for this.

In addition, there is the modular network adapter for different regions and another part is connected in between, which I would assess as a WLAN module, because WiFi 2.4 GHz, 802.11 b / g / n is used for the connection and is compatible with WPA2 + AES, WPA + TKIP / AES. A tape is also included. I assume that it is there to fix the WLAN module to the table, for example.

Elgato Light Strips – Installation

Once you have decided where to attach the Elgato Light Strips, installation is super easy. As is usual with many Light Strips, there is a self-adhesive surface on the back of the Elgato Light Strips. Here, too, Tesa is used. If you remove the paper, you can attach it to the desired surface. The best thing to do is to fix the WLAN module so that it does not burden the Elgato Light Strips with its weight, albeit light, and then everything is firmly in place. For example, I decided on the classic and stuck it behind my desk. Instead of cutting it, I glued it past the corners, which is possible since the LEDs are bendable too.

Elgato Light Strips – software, features and LEDs

After connecting to the electricity you have to connect or control the Elgato Light Strips. To do this, you use the Elgato Control Center software for Windows or Mac, or the app for iOS and Android. The software finds the Elgato Light Strips practically immediately, where it pops up in the app, for example, and you can control the light.

In the app or software you can update the Elgato Light Strips, switch them on and off, change their brightness or choose the color of your choice. You can then save your favorite settings under favorites. What is currently missing are color change scenes or programs where the light strips change their color over time. At this point in time, I cannot answer whether this is due to the fact that there will be an update today after the launch of the product or whether it should be. As I know Elgato, I think there is still something to come, as Elgato is known for expanding its software and features even years later. If something should come up here at short notice, I will add that too.

According to Elgato, the LEDs are premium LEDs. I can’t say whether these are Osram LEDs, like my Elgato Ring Light or the Key Lights. What is certain is that no flickering or similar problems can be detected here. The maximum brightness is 2000 lumens. That is higher than the 1600 lumens of the Philips Hue Light Strips or the Eve Light Strips supported by the Elgato software, which come to 1800 lumens with the same length. In addition to the classic 16 million color choice of RGBWW LEDs, you can also opt for white light, where you can go from 3500 to 6500 K.

Elgato Light Strips – Seamless Stream Deck Integration

The integration into Elgatos Ekosystem works completely problem-free and reliable with the Elgato Light Strips. As already mentioned, you can control everything about Elgato lighting products with the app. Since my entire setup with ring light, light strips, keyboard, mouse pad, mouse, capture card, PC case, fan, AIO and more all come from the Elgato or Corsair Ecosystem, I can use the Elgato Light Strips just like everything else mentioned here at the workplace and much more besides, such as software such as OBS and products from other manufacturers such as Nanoleaf, centrally with the Elgato Stream Deck (in my case with the Elgato Stream Deck Mini). So I don’t have to deal with several apps, but can combine everything in one programmable hardware.

Programming should not be taken literally here, because you hardly have to do anything, as the Light Strips and other devices are immediately recognized in the Stream Deck software, provided that, depending on the product, they are with the Elgato Control Center or Elgato Wave Link , Elgato Capture Utility, Corsair iCue etc. are connected and registered. You then pull the action such as light on / off, brighter, darker, color favorites etc. to the desired slot and then select which of the lamps, light strips or whether they should all react together. I did that here too, of course, and it works wonderfully. Everything reacts immediately and I don’t always have to search for the respective software or app. Here, within the Elgato / Corsair Ecosystem, you have this convenience that everything is linked and works. If you don’t want a Stream Deck as hardware, you can also download the Stream Deck App. So you can practically do the same thing on your smartphone.

Elgato Light Strips – Price and Availability

The Elgato Light Strips cost 69.99 euros. At this point in time, I cannot say how things are with extensions. Compared to competing products, it is priced at a similar level. However, what you rely on here is the seamless integration into the Elgato / Corsair Ecosystem together with other Elgato and Corsair products. If you have already invested here, the Elgato Light Strips are a no brainer if you are looking for Light Strips. Of course there are also super cheap alternatives, but with this you build the comfort of having everything in one place and mostly the LEDs or the software are useless.