Microsoft is apparently preparing to add integrated RGB lighting controls to Windows 11, simplifying the process for fans of customizable lighting. The feature allows users to change the lighting effects for connected peripherals directly in the Windows 11 Settings app, and it's currently hidden in the latest build released to Insiders in the Dev channel.

Currently, if you want to create a fully-integrated setup with RGB lighting, your best bet is to buy peripherals from the same brand, because most companies offer their own RGB lighting solution, and they're generally not cross-compatible. Plus, it's always an additional download, which can be a hassle by itself. Having these controls built into Windows itself could make things much easier, assuming peripheral manufacturers are willing to support the feature.

Starting with Windows 11 build 25295, which was released to Insiders earlier this week, you can start to see some of these capabilities in the Settings app, but they're hidden right now. These features include the ability to choose a brightness level, a lighting effect, its speed, and color. There's even an option to match the current Windows theme color, in case you want to keep everything to a specific theme.

Screenshot of Windows 11 Settings app showing RGB lighting customization options for a connected keyboard
Image credit: Albacore (Twitter)

According to Windows Central, however, other settings are being considered, too. For example, you may be able to set a specific color light for when you get a notification, or make it so that your peripheral shows a different color when you've muted your microphone in a Teams meeting. Another potential option is audio visualization, which would sync the lighting effects to the sound coming from your PC.

The fact that this feature is being worked doesn't necessarily guarantee that it will become a reality in the near future, if ever. That being said, having an integrated RGB control experience would certainly be appreciated by many. It could end up in one of the "Moment" updates later this year, but it's still early to say.

For now, if you're running the latest Insider build and you want to see these options for yourself, you can use a tool like ViveTool or the more user-friendly ViveTool GUI to enable the flags with ID numbers 41355275 and 35262205, then restart your PC to see the changes. Hopefully, these controls will become more developed in the next few builds.


Source: Windows Central