After 20 years of absence, a cult feature from Windows Vista may be making its return in Windows 11. This feature is the animated wallpapers, which disappeared in 2007 and are now reappearing in the latest DS7 versions of the operating system.
Recently, Windows Vista made an unexpected return to Windows 11, but it turned out to be a bug. Here, we are discussing a feature that users appreciated back in the day. The Windows Vista feature was known as Windows DreamScene and made a mark in 2007.
Animated wallpapers are back on Windows 11
Windows DreamScene is back! Hidden in the latest Windows 11 Dev/Beta build (26×20.6690) is built-in support for setting video files like .mp4 as your desktop background: pic.twitter.com/B4vdtfvqSc
— phantomofearth 🌳 (@phantomofearth) September 20, 2025
Users of Vista Ultimate had the option for animated wallpapers. Thus, it required this high-end edition that demanded powerful PCs for its time. In the meantime, Microsoft abandoned animated wallpapers, which users have been able to rediscover through third-party applications like Wallpaper Engine. However, the good news is that these animated wallpapers may return natively to Windows 11, with version 25H2 now available via an ISO file.
Insider leaker Phantom of Earth discovered that the latest trial versions of Windows 11 from the Dev and Beta channels allow for using MP4 files as animated wallpapers. The option is hidden from the public, and Microsoft has not made any official announcement regarding this yet.
That said, this feature may not come to fruition at all. Microsoft had previously attempted animated wallpapers with parallax effects in Windows 11 but never deployed them. So, we await an official announcement from Microsoft to confirm whether Windows Vista’s animated wallpapers will indeed return.
In short, it would be great news if this feature returned. After all, Windows 11 is criticized for its interface, even though Microsoft is trying to improve things. The end of Windows 10 does not help either, and many users may migrate to an OS they do not appreciate.
