Signify, the company behind Philips Hue, has announced a new collaboration with Silicon Labs that will allow selected Philips Hue products to communicate using both Zigbee and Matter over Thread simultaneously.
The capability is enabled by Silicon Labs’ concurrent multiprotocol technology, which allows a single wireless chip to maintain connections to both Zigbee and Thread networks at the same time. This removes the need for users to choose one protocol over the other and helps existing Zigbee-based Hue installations work alongside newer Matter smart home ecosystems.
The technology is being implemented using Silicon Labs’ MG26 and SiMG301 wireless system-on-chip platforms, which are now being incorporated into compatible Philips Hue devices.
Software Update Planned for Later This Year
According to Signify and Silicon Labs, compatible Philips Hue bulbs are already available, or are currently being introduced across the Philips Hue product portfolio with the required hardware.
For now, users must still select either Zigbee or Thread when commissioning a supported bulb. However, Signify plans to release a software update later this year that will activate concurrent protocol support.
Once the update is available, compatible Philips Hue bulbs will be able to participate in both Zigbee and Matter over Thread networks simultaneously, simplifying setup and improving interoperability between existing Hue deployments and modern Matter-enabled smart home platforms.
