Microsoft is adding built-in support for video wallpapers in Windows 11, letting users set MP4, MKV and other video formats as desktop backgrounds — a feature long requested.
What’s New: Video as Desktop Wallpaper
Recent Windows 11 Insider preview builds (Dev and Beta channels) now include hidden support for setting video files — such as MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, and MKV — as wallpapers. This allows wallpapers to loop automatically whenever the desktop is visible, similarly to how static images are currently set.
Back to DreamScene: A Long Wait
This feature is reminiscent of DreamScene, a Windows Vista Ultimate-era capability that allowed videos (.wmv, .mpg, etc.) and animations to run in the background, behind desktop icons. After many years relying on third-party tools like Wallpaper Engine or Lively Wallpaper, Microsoft is bringing this functionality natively.
Possible Concerns: Performance & Battery
While this addition is welcomed for personalization, there are open questions about how video wallpaper support will impact battery life, especially on laptops, as well as system performance (CPU / GPU load). Also, compatibility with all video formats and quality settings remains to be seen.
Roll-out and Availability
Microsoft hasn’t made an official public announcement yet. The video wallpapers feature is currently hidden in Insider builds and may take several weeks before it becomes available to general users.
