If you game on a PS5 or Xbox Series X, the answer is probably yes — and the reason has less to do with lighting than with what a sync box does to your picture on the way through.
A sync box sits in the middle of your HDMI chain
An HDMI sync backlight works by reading the video signal going to your TV. To do that, the signal has to pass through the sync box first:
Console or streaming device → sync box → TV
That means the sync box becomes part of your picture chain. Whatever it can't carry, your TV never receives. A box limited to HDMI 2.0 will cap a PS5 at 4K 60Hz even though the console and the TV are both capable of 4K 120Hz.
This is the single most important thing to check before buying, and it's the spec most listings bury.
What HDMI 2.1 actually adds
4K at 120Hz
HDMI 2.0 tops out at 4K 60Hz. HDMI 2.1 carries 4K at 120Hz, which is what current-generation consoles output in performance mode. If you've paid for a 120Hz TV and a PS5, an HDMI 2.0 sync box quietly halves your frame rate.
VRR — variable refresh rate
Games rarely hold a perfectly steady frame rate. VRR lets your TV match its refresh rate to whatever the console is producing moment to moment, which removes screen tearing and the stutter you get when frame rate and refresh rate drift out of step. It needs HDMI 2.1 end to end — including through the sync box.
ALLM — auto low latency mode
The one you'll notice every day. ALLM lets your console tell the TV to switch into game mode automatically the moment you start playing, and switch back when you don't. No diving into TV settings before each session.
8K at 60Hz
Less relevant in India today, but worth having if you expect to upgrade the TV before you replace the lighting.
What about Dolby Vision and Atmos?
Separate question, and an important one. Some sync boxes strip HDR metadata or downmix audio as the signal passes through, so you gain lighting and lose picture and sound quality.
Check the spec sheet for explicit Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HDR10+ passthrough. If a listing doesn't mention it, assume it doesn't do it.
When HDMI 2.0 is genuinely enough
Plenty of setups don't need 2.1:
- You mostly watch films, series and streaming rather than gaming
- Your TV is 60Hz, which covers most sets sold in India below the premium tier
- You game on an older console, or on Switch
- Your source is a Fire TV Stick or set-top box, neither of which outputs 120Hz
In those cases an HDMI 2.0 kit gives you identical lighting for less money. AmbiMotion 2.0 handles 4K at 60Hz plus 1080p at 240Hz and 2K at 144Hz, with Dolby Vision, Atmos and HDR10+ passthrough.
The other question: how many inputs?
Almost every sync box on the market has one HDMI input. That's fine if you run a single source. It becomes annoying quickly if you don't.
A typical Indian living room now has three: a set-top box, a streaming stick, and a console. With one input you're either unplugging cables to move the lighting between them, or accepting that two of your three sources don't sync at all.
Count your devices before you choose. AmbiMotion 2.1 Pro has three HDMI 2.1 inputs — all full 2.1 spec, not one good port and two older ones — so everything stays connected and the lighting follows whatever you're watching.
Choosing between the kits
AmbiMotion 2.0 — 4K 60Hz, one input. The right choice for film, streaming and everyday viewing.
AmbiMotion 2.1 — 4K 120Hz, 8K 60Hz, VRR and ALLM, one input. For a single console at full spec.
AmbiMotion 2.1 Pro — everything 2.1 does, across three HDMI 2.1 inputs. For a room running a console, a set-top box and a streaming device together.
All three include the sync box, cover screens from 27 to 120 inches, and work with Alexa and Google Assistant.
One thing that catches everyone out
Whichever kit you choose, an HDMI sync backlight needs an external device plugged in. Apps built into your smart TV don't pass through the sync box, so they can't sync — Netflix has to come from a Fire TV Stick, set-top box or console rather than the TV's own menu.
Full explanation here: Do I need a Fire TV Stick for a TV backlight?
Browse all TV backlight kits.