From PC World: What do you get if you use a gaming PC from Alienware, a keyboard from Cooler Master, a headset from HyperX, and a mouse from Razer all at the same time? You get four different programs and interfaces to control all those blinking RGB lights. Sorry, that wasn’t a punchline, it’s just the annoying reality of different proprietary software to control a bunch of different PC gaming gadgets. But according to the code of the latest Windows 11 test build, it might be getting a more practical solution soon.
Twitter’s prolific Windows analyst Albacore (via The Verge) spotted RGB lighting controls for USB accessories in Windows 11 build 25295, the latest Insider Preview Build that hit the servers just yesterday. There’s no mention of lighting controls in Microsoft’s official changelog, but such is often the case for features the company is somewhat iffy on. According to the screenshots posted to Twitter, this build of Windows 11 can change basic lighting modes and settings for keyboards, mice, headsets, and even more esoteric gadgets like the Stream Deck.
Using a bunch of different driver programs to control lighting on every single component has long been a headache for PC gamers. (You might be familiar with these lamentations if you’re a regular viewer of our Full Nerd podcast!) There have been a few examples of cross-compatibility like Asus and Corsair gadgets working together and a few can now connect to smart home systems like Google Home and Alexa.
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