Smart ceiling lights are becoming quite the thing in the smart home, with SwitchBot becoming the latest brand to throw its hat into the ring.

Over the past year we’ve seen the likes of Philips Hue, Govee and Aqara all launch flush-mounted smart ceiling lights that combine practical everyday lighting with colorful ambient effects and SwitchBot is now joining the party with the new RGBICWW Ceiling Light.

Starting at just $49.99, the new Matter-compatible light offers many of the features that have become expected from this new generation of smart ceiling fixtures, while landing at a price point much lower than its established rivals.

Govee does have a similarly priced rival but its Ultra model is more comparable in terms of features and is more than double the price.

SwitchBot’s latest model supports Matter over Wi-Fi, meaning it can connect directly to the likes of Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Home Assistant and Homey without requiring a SwitchBot Hub.

Users can control brightness, colours and automations through whichever ecosystem they already use.

For the full set of bells and whistles though, the SwitchBot app will be needed.

The lighting itself is split between practical white illumination and entertainment-focused color effects.

White light ranges from a warm 2700K through to a cool 6500K with dimming from 1% to 100%, while RGBIC technology allows multiple colours to appear across the light simultaneously for more dynamic scenes during gaming, movie nights or parties.

Two sizes are available: a 12-inch model produces up to 2,000 lumens, while the larger 15-inch version increases that to 3,200 lumens for bigger rooms.

Inside the SwitchBot app there are 26 preset scenes and eight lighting effects, along with scheduling, timers and custom routines.

The light also supports voice control and can integrate with other SwitchBot devices, allowing automations such as hallway lights turning on when a presence sensor detects movement or reacting to activity from a SwitchBot smart lock or video doorbell.

SwitchBot’s RGBICWW Ceiling Light is available now, with US pricing starting at $49.99 for the 12-inch version, and it’s $69.99 for the larger 15-inch model.

Over the past year or so, SwitchBot has expanded its smart lighting portfolio , shifting from a more novelty smart home brand to a serious contender in smart illumination; and even more so given the recent acquisition of smart lighting pioneer Nanoleaf by SwitchBot’s parent company, OneRobotics.