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Smart lights are having a big moment at CES 2026, and perhaps the most exciting update comes from Philips' Hue lineup. Thanks to the brand's new 'SpatialAware' update, your lights can now adapt scenes to your specific home layout. And I'm obsessed with the results.
I've got two Philips Hue lights in my home, and while I love how they look when synced up on the same setting, they're ultimately just running the two settings independently. Now, thanks to Philips' SpatialAware update, they can collaborate to bring my chosen setting to my space, in a more cohesive way.
The SpatialAware feature analyzes the layout of your room and the placement of your Philips Hue lights, and then creates the best possible lighting experience in your space. According to Philips, "It’s like having a lighting designer in your pocket."
Introducing SpatialAware
SpatialAware will be available to Philips Bridge Pro users, with rollout expected in the weeks to come. And the existing settings aren't going anywhere, meaning your lights just got a big glow up to offer you more custom lighting than ever.
Above is a good example of how your Philips lights interact without SpatialAware. While all lights run the same scene simultaneously, they don't interact with one another. So while your home lighting is cohesive in cycling through the same hues, they don't distribute the colors amongst your specific lights.
Whereas below, according to Philips, is an example of how SpatialAware will elevate your lighting setup. To me, that's an exciting difference.
How will it work? According to Philips, the Hue app will use augmented reality to analyze the layout of your room and the location of your Philips lights. From there, it generates the ideal lighting experience for your chosen room.
Alongside this update, Philips has continued to expand its AI capabilities. Now, it can create automations based on specific user requests, such as "wake me up at 6.45am on every day except Saturdays."
I can't wait to try these new settings in my own home, and will bring you my thoughts as soon as I do.
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