These videos play whenever you access your desktop, similar to third-party tools like Wallpaper Engine. Microsoft originally offered video wallpapers in Windows Vista as part of the DreamScene feature for its Ultimate edition, though this was removed in Windows 7.

Video wallpapers are a highly sought-after feature among Windows users. Wallpaper Engine often appears in the top 10 of most used apps on Steam, illustrating the popularity and usage of such applications.

Microsoft has been working on dynamic animated wallpapers for Windows 11 for several years, with a former concept showing their appearance earlier in the year. These dynamic wallpapers were planned for a 2023 release but did not make it into the final Windows 11 version.