Windows 11 users can soon enjoy the ability to set videos, including .mp4 and other formats, as their desktop backgrounds, with the feature expected to roll out in the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 updates. This enhancement allows videos to play automatically in a loop, offering a fresh and dynamic aesthetic to the desktop experience.
The native video wallpaper functionality appears to draw inspiration from the popular third-party application WallpaperEngine, which has long allowed users to customize their backgrounds with videos. However, Microsoft aims to provide a more streamlined and user-friendly version of this feature.
Currently, the video wallpaper feature is linked to forthcoming optional updates, and while it has not yet reached the preview channels, indications suggest that it may become available by October. Users running Windows 11 Build 26220 or newer can anticipate access to this feature in due course, as noted by tech enthusiast Phantom on X.
To set a video as your desktop background, users will navigate to Settings > Personalization > Background. Although the Personalization settings page has not yet been updated to reflect this new capability, it is expected given the feature’s unannounced status. During testing, it was observed that when selecting “browse photos,” the Windows File Picker revealed additional options beyond standard image formats, including .mp4, .m4v, .mov, .wmv, .avi, .mkv, and .webm.
The selection of supported file formats is likely to remain limited to these widely used types, ensuring compatibility and ease of use. In a test, an .mp4 video featuring the Windows Bloom animation was selected, and upon restarting explorer.exe, the desktop seamlessly displayed the video in a continuous loop. Notably, the video played without any discernible increase in power consumption, suggesting that Microsoft has optimized the video rendering process for background use.
This is a comeback of Windows Vista’s DreamScene
For those familiar with the history of Windows, this feature echoes the “DreamScene” functionality found in Windows Vista, which allowed users to set videos as backgrounds through the Desktop Window Manager (DWM). Unlike third-party applications like WallpaperEngine, which utilize a borderless DirectX window for rendering, Windows 11’s implementation may rely on the same DWM framework, likely leveraging GPU-accelerated video streaming via Media Foundation.
While Windows 11’s video wallpapers will be non-interactive, this design choice may contribute to reduced power and resource consumption, making it a practical option for users looking to enhance their desktop environment without compromising performance.
