Frima gets bright idea to add Phillips smartbulb support to Chariot

Canadian game maker Frima Studio has gone ahead and updated the Xbox One version of its co-op platformer Chariot to add support for Phillips' Hue line of connected LED light fixtures.

This is perhaps the first time we've ever seen a developer patch support for lightbulbs into its game, though third-party video game accessory manufacturers like Mad Catz have been selling PC "gaming light" peripherals for years. Phillips itself tried something very similar a decade ago with its "amBX" environmental lighting system, which is still available today.

The pitch for those products -- and, in turn, for this new Phillips Hue functionality in the Xbox One version of Chariot -- is that lights in the player's room will change in real time to complement what's happening in-game. The lights might flash red when the player takes damage, for example, or shift to blue during underwater segments. 

"We are very proud to be the first in the world to integrate Philips Hue lighting with a videogame," Frima CEO stated in a press release. Phillips' Wout Verhagen also chimed in, adding that "Chariot is a perfect fit to demonstrate the full potential of Philips Hue for games."

It is yet unclear if Phillips has plans to further integrate its lighting fixtures with video games.