RGB loaded computer peripherals are an established way to spruce up computer design. Over the past five years, we’ve seen nearly every computer accessory pack with RGB lighting effects of one sort or another. Even the laptops are extensions of the RGB theme beyond the backlit keyboard and add lighting to the chassis.
But when it comes to color adjustment, Windows users should use custom or third-party software for their computer accessories (if the device supports it). However, Microsoft is testing an RGB lighting control feature that could potentially eliminate the need for such software. Would you like to try it ? Let’s start.
Do you really need RGB lighting controls in Windows?
If you’re using external peripherals (especially related to gaming), RGB lighting has great visual appeal. Even the best gaming accessories (mouse, keyboard, and controllers) now incorporate some form of RGB lighting. Expensive products offer slightly better customizations compared to moderately priced products.
If you want to customize RGB lighting effects, you need a compatible software equivalent. Renowned gaming accessory brands offer custom software that lets you adjust lighting effects, modes, and even brightness.
If you like to shop between brands, it becomes tedious to install a dedicated program for each RGB accessory you have. Not everyone uses all devices from one brand, which means you need to install multiple software to customize RGB effects.
Microsoft noticed this issue and came up with a plan to unite all RBG accessories on Windows 11. Windows Insider build 25295 has a hidden experimental feature that adds a lighting option in the Personalization section of the Settings app.
This setting will act as a central hub to manage and adjust all connected devices with RGB lighting. Thus, you will need less or no third-party apps to adjust RGB effects on any connected device in Windows 11.
How to Enable RGB Lighting Controls in Windows 11
The RGB lighting feature is in testing and is only available in Windows Insider build 25295 and above. So you need to update to the latest version of Canary Channel first and then use ViveTool to enable the feature on your system.
1. Switch to the Insider version
You can download Insider build 25295 by signing up for the Windows Insider program and then checking for new builds using the Update Windows section in the Settings app.
However, if you don’t want to sign up for the program, you can use UUP Dump to download the latest builds from Windows Insider and try them out on your system or in a virtual machine. After that, install the build and boot to desktop.
2. Enable RGB lighting using ViVeTool
You can enable hidden experimental features on Windows using ViVeTool. There is a command line version and a GUI version of ViVeTool available on GitHub. Download and extract the ViVeTool to C drive, then repeat the following steps:
- Press Win + R to launch the Run command box on your system.
- Type order and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys to open the command prompt with administrator privileges.
- Now you need to navigate to the VS conduct. Type the following command and press the Enter key: CDC:\
- Once you are in the parent directory, type “cd ViveTool” to jump to the location of the ViVeTool file.
- Now type the following commands and run them one by one to enable the hidden RGB lighting feature:
vivetool /enable /id:41355275 vivetool /enable /id:35262205
- Type exit in the command prompt window to close it. Restart your system to apply the changes made by the ViVeTool.
- Once you’ve booted to the desktop, press Win + I to launch the Settings app.
- Click on the Personalization option in the left menu.
- Scroll down and you see the Lighting option in personalization settings. Click on it and then change the RGB lighting of all supported devices. You can even match a device’s RGB effects with Windows’ accent color.
Control all your RGB devices in one place
RGB has amplified its appeal over the past five years. It went from bland and boring colors to customizable effects. But installing separate software to modify each device is not a good idea. Luckily, Microsoft is working on centralizing RGB lighting customization, so you’ll never need to install a sketchy RGB adjustment app again.
