RGB lighting has become a bright beacon in the PC gaming world, illuminating everything from PCs, keyboards, mice, and even headsets. It's easy to discern a gamer's aesthetic from that bright, colorful aurora. One of the problems with this, however, is that it can get a bit confusing, with myriad devices pulsating with their own shades.

Ideally, a good desk lighting setup should have several strong focal points outside of the accessories to create a uniform, light-covered feel. However, good RGB lighting solutions are quite expensive and it is difficult to know how much is needed.

One well-known brand is Nanoleaf, which recently released its Smarter Essentials series of globes and light strips. These are a classic and flexible option for RGB lighting. The gloves cost about $20 and can be attached to lamps you already own, making them much cheaper than stand-alone lighting accessories. The strips are also quite reasonable and currently sell for $50. But how much can such a simple product improve a PC gaming desk?

The answer is surprisingly large. We've already mentioned the versatility of the Globe as a color light solution, and this Nanoleaf bulb looks like a great option. They are really bright and vivid, and combined with the funky polygonal design, they are perfect for game setups. What's more, since it's a regular lamp, it can be moved around freely to change its appearance. For example, I placed one behind my PC and it instantly turned into a backsplash of color.

If I had a threaded router, I could also set it to mimic the colors of the screen using the Nanoleaf desktop app. I don't have one, but this would create an immersive experience that would make the game screen look like a wall of light.

The desk light strips are similarly better than expected in terms of brightness and color; the LEDs are transparent, so they seem best used when the strips are not directly visible. Under the desk, they give the workstation an eerily cool feel and provide excellent underglow that makes it easier to see old stains in the carpet.

Installation is a bit tricky because of the strips. It has an adhesive that sticks to the surface, which has worked well so far, but can be tricky if you don't want to stick it in a straight line. I had to bend the light strips awkwardly to bend the corners of the desk. It looks fine from the top since you can't see it, but it's tricky to bend and I'm not sure how reliable it is. There are joiners and accessories on the market that make this task easier, but it's worth keeping in mind if you're considering a similar use case. Still, the 2M strip was more than enough to cover part of the front and sides of my desk, giving it a surprisingly complete look.

If you want a little more length, there is an option to extend the strips by 1M. Adding this would allow you to wrap around the desk and the wall behind it would be nicely illuminated. Unfortunately, the back wall is curtained, so it gets a little obscured. I'm not saying you need this strip, as my desk was pretty well lit with one strip, but if you really need an all-encompassing strip or have a large desk, adding one of these is pretty easy to accomplish.

The second globe, on the other hand, is a bit more of a game changer. Having two of these can be easily set up and moved around to create different focus points and looks on the desk. This is especially helpful for streaming setups. One could also backlight a wall with curtains to create an immersive feel to the monitor, but this would also require the Nanoleaf software.

I set up most of this on my cell phone due to the lack of a threaded router or compatible device. Not a frustration free experience and took many times to add or update the firmware. Booting up and connecting to the device can also be very slow, but once it's working everything seems to be fine. I also have some older nano leaf devices like the Hexagon Shapes, which may have thread control, but since day one I have had problems with apps and issues with them falling out of the system. Thankfully, I have not found any such issues yet with this essential line, but I am still limited to using this software and can only use it on my phone, not my PC.

Adding a few other touches such as an RGB lit mouse, keyboard, and speakers would help add a focal point to the desk itself. Not only does this look cool and help when playing in the dark, but it also provides a little accent point you can use in your lighting setup. Match everything or taste the rainbow for the final sparkle.

For a nice RGB lighting setup, Nanoleaf Essentials bulbs and light strips are a great choice in many ways. They offer bright, beautiful colors and should match each light along the collection to give it a very definitive feel. The bulb and strip hardware is very easy to install, even if the strip has a curve to it. Nevertheless, the price is very reasonable for a brand new product that will look great in a room's décor and give you more flexible RGB light options.