Nostalgia may soon return to the Windows desktop. The latest preview of Windows 11 introduces a feature many may remember from the Windows Vista era: animated wallpapers.
DreamScene was ahead of its time.
Back in 2007, Microsoft introduced DreamScene, allowing users to set videos (rather than static images) as desktop backgrounds in Windows Vista.
However, this feature was only available in the expensive "Ultimate" edition of Vista, and at the time, it required a very high level of computer performance, especially for the background. After Vista, DreamScene quietly disappeared from the system.
Now, Microsoft appears to be experimenting with something new. As X user phantomofearth (known for his discoveries about the underlying architecture of pre-release Windows versions) has discovered in current development and beta versions, it's now possible to set MP4 files as backgrounds. This makes it possible to create mobile desktops even without third-party programs like Wallpaper Engine.
However, Microsoft has yet to officially announce this new feature. Currently, it's being kept well hidden and could disappear at any time if it doesn't pass internal testing. Microsoft has previously experimented with dynamic backgrounds, including a parallax effect in Windows 11, but never made it into the final release. Whether DreamScene's return will actually become a reality remains uncertain. What's certain is that desktop customization is far from over at Microsoft.
