Source: Aggiornamenti Lumia
Wallpaper Engine is a popular Steam project that lets users create animated backgrounds for use on Windows, and according to this well-connected Twitter account, Microsoft may be building its own similar program.
Aggiornamenti Lumia is a long-time Microsoft leakster well-versed in unannounced upcoming Windows, Surface, (Lumia, RIP) and Xbox products. Recently, they revealed that Microsoft had a mysterious “Unnamed Project” app in development, and they have since managed to break into it to offer a glimpse at what it is.
“Unnamed Project” seems to be a system that allows users to animate backgrounds with custom effects. The tutorial seems to describe up to 8 custom concurrent effects that can appear on a timeline of sorts, while also allowing you to upload custom assets. It seems as though it gives users a generous array of tools to customize and animate wallpapers, both on consoles and Windows PCs.
We’ve seen similar apps like this appear in the past that ultimately never made it into the public domain. Microsoft often tests internal products and services that either get shelved or were simply the result of hackathons or side projects. This tool may also be intended for developers and license holders to use, rather than the general public so that Microsoft can make it easier for their game publisher partners to produce content for the console’s rather thin variety of Xbox Dynamic Background themes.
The Xbox dashboard has been the focus of a throng of negative feedback in recent months, with users clamoring for a more “streamlined” dashboard that, indeed, showcases more of those sexy dynamic themes. Users have also asked for more customization in general, and perhaps this is the first sign of new options users can look forward to for tailoring their experience on Windows PCs, and Xbox Series X|S consoles. There’s also a possibility that this may never launch at all.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for a comment, in any case, and will let you know if we hear back.
