Windows 11 users may soon be able to configure their RGB lighting without the use of third-party software from the likes of companies that include Logitech, Corsair, and Razer. According to screenshots shared by Windows Central, Microsoft is planning on adding native RGB peripheral controls to Windows 11, allowing users to change the colors, brightness, and lighting speed of their RGB peripherals simply by going into the new “lighting” category that’s being developed for the Settings panel. Users can find the new feature in recent Windows 11 preview builds after setting the proper flags with their preferred editors (e.g., ViVeTool), the process for which can be found below.
From a Windows Central report:
Peripherals from the likes of Razer, Logitech, and others currently use their own third-party software to configure RGB settings. Microsoft’s new “Windows Lighting” platform would be able to offer the same controls at a native level, removing the need to download a third-party program first. Of course, the success of this new platform would depend on whether or not peripheral makers choose to support it.
Windows Central understands that Microsoft is considering adding additional functionality such as being able to set peripherals to a certain color when notifications come in. Other options being toyed with include being able to change the color of peripherals depending on whether or not your microphone is muted, audio visualization, and of course, Teams integration.
How to enable RGB controls in Windows 11 preview build 25295
If you’re running the latest Windows 11 Dev Channel build, you can enable this hidden functionality using a third-party feature flags editor known as Vivetool. Once downloaded, follow these steps:
- Open Windows Terminal
- Press CTRL + Shift + 2 to switch to Command Prompt
- Navigate to the directory you downloaded Vivetool (e.g. cd c:\vivetool)
- Type vivetool /enable /id:41355275 and hit enter
- Type vivetool /enable /id:35262205 and hit enter
- Restart your PC
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →Man, that will be amazing. All these other vendors basically make garbageware you have to use in order to take your lights out of unicorn vomit mode.
Aorus boards default to gigabyte orange. Without software you're stuck with orange.
Interesting since I can't get my MSI mobo RGB stuff do display orange.
Sounds better than the default rainbow setup most RGB sh1t has going on. Great for your next Halloween build.
That's also a recent change, all the GIGABYTE boards I've owned and reviewed did rainbow unicorn vomit colors by default.
How recent? Maybe it's an Aorus thing? My board isn't very old, at least not in the generational sense.
Well, I don't recall any of the X570 Aorus boards doing it if that's what you are wondering. Nor anything prior to that. Z690 Aorus boards didn't do it either as far as I remember.
There is a reason I've preferred running case fans off of physical controllers or a basic built in fan controller like Fractal used to put on their cases.
I need to have LG Hub to set up the mouse anyway, the same software controls the KB lights too, and never had an issue with it.
That said I never had an issue with the Roccat one I had before the Logitech either. Guess the solution is not buying garbage like NZXT or Corsair.
Logitech's is one of the least offensive from a bigger company. Not perfect, but fit for purpose at least, and Logitech isn't trying to integrate with motherboards and GPUs and memory sticks and so on which is where you really get into trouble, in my experience.
A lot of cases have an 'RGB' button linked to a controller. I haven't seen one that can't be bypassed yet, and most (but not all) seem to swap the RGB button for the reset button.
And there are also dedicated controllers; I have one from CoolerMaster that works with SignalRGB well enough, and AquaComputer has their line of RGBpx stuff that integrates with their Aquasuite software. Both controllers hook up via USB, I recommend getting a powered internal USB 2.0 splitter for this stuff.
B550 Aorus and Z690 Vision D, default rainbow puke to the moon for what I've seen. Luckily SignalRGB has no trouble with the Gigabyte boards themselves; DDR5 is a whole nuther matter.
We have every reason to expect Microsoft to cluster this initiative, but on the off chance that they don't meet everyone's' expectations and wind up producing something useful, I'll be personally both relieved and impressed.
+1
Can't agree with you on the peripherals part, but yeah their software is lacking, just like most everyone else. I use the Logitech G HUB without any issues and so far it's my favorite software to use. Hopefully Microsoft has done their homework.
I have no problem with Logitech or Corsair software. Now...the Gigabyte software....yeah, it's a steaming pile of poo.
I've had my Gigabyte Aorus x570 for about two years now and it defaulted to Gigabyte Orange at full brightness from the beginning. It wasn't too bad at first because the brightness and color could be changed using the Gigabyte software in Windows and it would stay that way until changed in the software. That included during boot, any OS running and didn't need the software running. After a BIOS update that all changed and it would default to the horrid orange until the software started up again so I had to turn it all off. I haven't tried the Gigabyte software to see if the older function of saving works again because I'm never in Windows.
I have used OpenRGB (in Linux) to control it but it's hit or miss sometimes. Getting the different areas of the motherboard set correctly can be a pain so I don't even bother. It also has support for my HyperX keyboard but I'm not messing with that. I used the HyperX software in Windows when I first got the keyboard and saved what I wanted to the keyboard and haven't messed with it since. I recently acquired a Gigabyte Radeon 6750xt but OpenRGB doesn't have anything for that.
Personally, I would prefer for companies to back something like OpenRGB or at least give them the specs necessary to allow control of lighting hardware. It would be likely be much easier and nicer for people all around.
I have absolutely no confidence that Microsoft will succeed. It's not that I have no confidence in MS generally (I don't) but that trying to make something like this is a gargantuan task with no end of problems and incompatibilities.
Software is part of the product, I Don't care if the hardware is sound if the software is a pile.