• The Philips Hue Bridge Pro has increased in price by at least 40%
• Hue Essential multi-packs have also gone up in price
• However, a new software update supports ‘Bridgeless Sync’ for some devices

Philips Hue has had quite an illustrious few weeks, it’s just launched over a dozen new smart lights and accessories, but the latest product price hike could tarnish the company’s insane run of new announcements — and the Philips Hue Bridge Pro has received quite a shocking increase.

In the US, the Philips Hue Bridge Pro, a hub that unlocks advanced control features for the best smart lights, has risen in price from $99 to $139 — an increase of roughly 40%. In the UK, the Bridge Pro is £129.99 in the Philips Hue Autumn Glow-Up sale, up from its launch price of £79.99. That’s an increase of around 35% (though the device is currently discounted to £90.80 on Amazon).

According to 9to5Google, the price changes rolled out in August, but it’s not just the US and UK that are bearing the brunt of these increases.

Eurozone regions are also affected, with the Philips Hue Bridge Pro spiking from €99 to €149. The device was €89 at launch and increased to €99 euros in March, so the latest change marks the second European price hike this year, and a total price increase of 51%..

Other Hue products that have been hit by unexpected prices as well. As spotted by Hue Blog, multi-packs of Hue Essential lamps and spotlights have shot up to €69.99 from their previous €59.99 price point. It’s not ideal, but at least these increases aren’t as substantial as the Bridge Pro.

The most frustrating part is that the Philips Hue Bridge Pro, together with the Hue Essential devices, are relatively new products that were only released last year. But with the rising cost of manufacturing and memory alike, it was only a matter of time before Philips Hue succumbed to this upheaval.

It’s not all bad news…

Philips Hue’s latest stunt is quite the kick in the teeth if you were just about to embark on your new smart home journey with the brand.

However amid the price hike chaos, a new software update supports ‘Bridgeless Sync’ for Philips Hue lights with the Hue Play Screen Sync TV camera and Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 4K.

What that means is that both devices can now communicate with a single Hue light via Bluetooth without the need for a Bridge or Bridge Pro hub. Additionally, the new camera-based Screen Sync system works with any TV source, removing the need for a HDMI Sync Box.

Ultimately, this removes a handful of tedious steps and significantly reduces the price for setting up your own Hue ecosystem. It also comes in handy if you want to seriously upgrade your TV viewing, but aren’t too concerned about having the entire Hue smart home experience.