Philips Hue unlocks Thread on its new bulbs without abandoning Zigbee

Philips Hue has rolled out a new update for its latest bulbs, and for once, the release notes are worth reading. The highlights: Matter 1.4.1, Apple Adaptive Lighting via Matter and, most importantly, the ability to run Zigbee and Matter over Thread at the same time on the same bulb. The new Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 4K has also received its first corrective firmware update, focused mainly on stability.

The two updates don’t have much in common. The bulb update is the more significant one: it shows how Hue plans to keep its legacy Zigbee technology while gradually opening its products up to Thread and Matter.

New Philips Hue bulbs move to firmware 1.164.2

It applies to lamps and fixtures built on the 100b-129 hardware platform. The 1.164.2 rollout began on October 5, 2026.

The official release notes list the usual bug fixes and stability improvements, as well as support for Matter 1.4.1 and Apple Adaptive Lighting via Matter.

And then there’s the line that really matters to anyone into home automation: the bulbs now support Zigbee and Matter at the same time, in “bridgeless” mode—that is, without requiring the Hue Bridge.

Zigbee and Matter over Thread can now coexist

Hue and Zigbee go way back. The bulbs have communicated with the Hue Bridge over Zigbee from the very beginning, and the ecosystem’s reputation for reliability owes a lot to this protocol.

Matter’s arrival didn’t initially change much about this architecture. In a typical setup, the Bridge handles Matter and makes Hue devices available to compatible platforms.

The latest generations of bulbs also have a Thread chip, however. That means you can add them directly to a Matter ecosystem without a Hue Bridge, provided you have the required Matter/Thread infrastructure. Philips Hue lists Apple Home, Google Home and Amazon Alexa, along with a compatible Thread Border Router if needed: a HomePod mini, certain Nest Hubs or Echo speakers.

Until now, you had to choose. With firmware 1.164.2, a bulb can keep its Zigbee connection and also work with Matter over Thread. That changes quite a bit in a home where several ecosystems coexist.

Why keep Zigbee if Matter over Thread is available?

You might wonder why Hue is still sticking with Zigbee when Matter and Thread are supposed to simplify the smart home.

Quite simply, the Hue Bridge is still the most complete way to use the brand’s products. Philips Hue recommends it, too, for people who already have a fairly extensive setup. It provides access to advanced features, dynamic scenes, certain Gradient effects and Hue Entertainment. Switching from Zigbee to Thread all at once would mean losing all of that.

Running both in parallel is much smarter: the bulb retains everything that makes Hue’s Zigbee setup worthwhile while also joining a Matter over Thread network.

That’s good news for Home Assistant users, or anyone running multiple hubs. There’s no need to commit to one protocol when setting things up—the bulb can adapt as your smart home evolves.

Hue bulbs to strengthen the Thread network?

There’s another possible consequence, and it’s the one I find most interesting.

Thread is a mesh network: devices that are always powered relay messages and help distant devices connect to the rest of the network. A bulb, which is normally always powered, is a good candidate for this role.

If Hue bulbs can run Thread alongside Zigbee, they could strengthen the home’s Thread mesh. A sensor upstairs, a lock far from the border router or any other Matter over Thread device could benefit.

I’d rather not get ahead of Philips Hue on this point. The firmware notes confirm that Zigbee and Matter can operate simultaneously, but don’t say anything specific about the bulbs’ role as Thread routers across different configurations. That will need to be tested in real-world conditions.

In any case, it would be a real bonus for anyone starting to accumulate Thread devices.

Apple Adaptive Lighting also arrives via Matter

Firmware 1.164.2 also officially adds support for “Matter Apple adaptive lighting.”

Adaptive Lighting changes the color temperature of bulbs throughout the day: cooler light during the day, becoming warmer as evening approaches. Nothing new for Hue users, but using Matter improves integration with the Apple ecosystem.

There is one small oddity, though: as I write this, Philips Hue’s Matter guide still says Apple Adaptive Lighting isn’t available in a direct Matter setup without a Bridge. Yet the 1.164.2 firmware notes say otherwise.

Either the documentation hasn’t caught up yet, or activation depends on your setup or an update on Apple’s side. Check your setup before putting the Hue Bridge away in a drawer.

Hue is adding a second route rather than replacing everything

Philips Hue’s strategy is pretty clear here. The brand isn’t replacing Zigbee with Thread overnight, and that’s a good thing. Millions of Hue devices work perfectly well with Zigbee and the Bridge; it would be absurd to break that just to follow the protocol of the moment.

Instead, Hue is opening up a second way in. A new user can start with a few Matter over Thread bulbs without buying a Bridge, then move to the full Hue ecosystem as their needs grow. Anyone who already has a Bridge can keep it and gradually benefit from Thread and Matter.

That’s what I like most about this update. For a long time, home automation has forced us to choose a protocol, a hub, a side. The fact that a bulb can juggle several technologies without asking users to make a once-and-for-all choice is a good sign.

The Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 4K also gets an update

On the Sync Box front, Philips Hue is updating its Play HDMI Sync Box 4K, unveiled in September 2026.

As a reminder, this is the more affordable version of the box that synchronizes Hue lighting with the TV picture: €149.99 and just one HDMI input, whereas previous Sync Boxes were aimed at more complex audiovisual setups. It can also connect directly via Bluetooth to a Play Gradient lightstrip, without a Hue Bridge. To synchronize up to ten lights, however, you’ll need to use the Bridge or Bridge Pro.

The update takes it to firmware 3.5.2. There are no new features: Philips Hue says it improves stability during long sessions and fixes a security issue related to network socket enumeration.

If you watch three movies, a few episodes of a series and play a console game without leaving the couch, the Sync Box should hold up better.

Philips Hue is becoming increasingly multiprotocol

The Sync Box’s 3.5.2 firmware won’t change many people’s lives. The bulbs’ 1.164.2 version, on the other hand, is worth a closer look.

Zigbee isn’t going away from Hue anytime soon, but it’s no longer the only protocol in charge. With Matter 1.4.1, Thread, Zigbee, direct control without a Bridge and compatibility with Apple, Google and Amazon, the range works just as well in its traditional environment as it does in a more open smart home.

This is probably the right way to approach Matter: add new possibilities without asking people to throw out what already works.

If you have a compatible recent bulb, firmware 1.164.2 will install automatically. Philips Hue recommends enabling automatic updates in the Hue app via Settings > Software update > Automatic update.

It remains to be seen how these bulbs perform on a real, busy Thread network. If they can combine their already excellent Zigbee mesh with an active role in the Thread mesh, every light in the home could become another relay for the entire home automation setup.