After years of relying on third-party tools, Windows is preparing to bring video wallpapers back as a built-in feature in Windows 11.
What’s happened?
- The feature has reportedly shown up in the latest Windows 11 Preview Build for Insiders.
- It allows setting video files, like MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, MKV, as desktop wallpapers, just as you would with static images.
- This marks the return of a feature reminiscent of Windows Vista’s DreamScene, Microsoft’s short-lived attempt at video wallpapers that disappeared after Vista.
This is important because:
- It gives users a native way to personalize Windows without relying on third-party apps.
- It could potentially reduce performance or compatibility issues caused by external software handling moving wallpapers.
- It demonstrates Microsoft responding to long-time user requests to bring back a feature many have missed ever since DreamScene.
Why should I care?
- If you like customizing your desktop, you’ll soon be able to use video wallpapers as simply as changing a static image.
- You won’t need extra software like Wallpaper Engine for videos, which potentially saves cost, system resources, and setup time.
- For laptop users, this might raise concerns about battery life or resource usage, something to watch when the feature rolls out broadly.
OK, what’s next?
- Expect Microsoft to officially announce the video wallpaper feature in an upcoming Windows 11 Insider update.
- Public rollout will likely follow once testing stabilizes, possibly in a future build version after Beta channels.
- Also keep an eye on settings for controlling performance and power usage (especially for laptops) when the feature becomes widely available.
Personally, I’ve always loved the idea of video wallpapers, so seeing them return natively in Windows 11 sounds exciting and I can’t wait to try them out myself.
