By Emma Matthews
published
Bring your desktop to life with the best Wallpaper Engine wallpapers.
Looking for the best wallpapers on Wallpaper Engine? As someone who spends hours fiddling with the flashing RGB components in my computer, I'm constantly hunting for ways to make my setup look prettier. Every few months I'll set a new colour theme for my LEDs and peripherals, before topping it off with a fresh new animated wallpaper to match.
Last year, I discovered Wallpaper Engine on Steam and I think it could give you the desktop backgrounds your PC deserves. While that's still true, there are so many wallpapers to choose from that you can spend hours scrolling through people's creations. If you want a neat desktop without Wallpaper Engine, Andy's list of beautiful 4K gaming wallpapers is strong, but if you have the software, here are some of my favourite Wallpaper Engine wallpapers.
How to use Wallpaper Engine
You can buy Wallpaper Engine on Steam for $3.99/£2.99, and once you have the software, you can download as many wallpapers as you please. It supports a wide range of resolutions, and multiple monitor setups. Some wallpapers even offer Corsair iCUE and Razer Chroma support, along with audio tracks that play in the background.
After you've downloaded Wallpaper Engine, click on the Workshop tab and click Filter results to select your monitor's resolution. There's a list of categories to browse, spanning games, sports, television, and more. Once you've found one that you'd like to try, select the wallpaper then click Subscribe on the right side of the screen. It'll take a few seconds to download the scene before it appears on your desktop. You can also adjust the colour scheme, playback rate, mute any attached audio, and flip the wallpaper in the right-hand panel.
Remember that Wallpaper Engine will need to run on start-up to keep your desktop looking sharp, so open Task Manager and click on the Start-up tab to confirm that it's enabled. Don't worry, this isn't taxing on your system, and it won't affect your performance when you're playing games either.
The best Wallpaper Engine wallpapers
One of the reasons Wallpaper Engine wallpapers is fun to browse is that most of them are animated. There's a huge library of wallpapers and it continues to grow thanks to Steam Workshop support. Naturally, I've chosen lots of fun gaming-related wallpapers, but I've also included a couple of others in this list. Here are the best Wallpaper Engine wallpapers that I've come across recently:
Dark Souls (Tomb of the Giants)
Creator: Zynthet
If you're converting your office into a relaxed and moody gaming zone, settling down next to a roaring bonfire in Lordran's Tomb of the Giants feels especially comforting. This is quite ironic considering how stressful this area is to navigate in the game. The flickering flames won't be too distracting, but they'll serve as a cosy, inviting focal point that's always nice to return to after dashing to the kitchen for a coffee.
Doom
Creator: Honnoror
This is one of the two alternate covers released for Doom (2016), and it's beautiful to see it in motion. The enemies in this wallpaper bob up and down ever so slightly, but it's just enough to draw our attention to some of the finer details in the piece. From the grinning Imps and hovering Revenants, to the goofy Cacodemon, this scene perfectly encapsulates Doom's vibe, and so it should, it is official artwork after all.
World of Warcraft N'Zoth Parallax
Creator: Wrynch
Who doesn't want a gigantic Old God towering over their taskbar? N'Zoth may not be the strongest of its kind, but it looks cool. Here's hoping that it's unsettling orange eyes will bore into us when we're procrastinating, and encourage us to get back to work. If you're loving Shadowlands so far, this wallpaper is a great pick.
Firewatch
Creator: Teebird117
Firewatch's gorgeous art made everyone fall in love with it when it released back in 2016. Olly Moss' style is clean, and considering how sought-after his artwork is, it's not difficult to understand why it works so well as an animated wallpaper. Even the tiniest animations bring this scene to life, from the wind and rustling leaves to the flock of birds flying above the forest.
Half-Life: Alyx - Citadel
Creator: KStrike
If you're looking for the quintessential PC gaming wallpaper, it has to be Half-Life. There are a few Half-Life 2 wallpapers, including one in the City 17 central plaza, complete with the Combine strolling around. Unfortunately these look a bit dated now, but inspired by Half-Life: Alyx, we can gaze at the Citadel and look out over the rooftops as if we were staring through a real window. Keep an eye on the horizon, occasionally you'll see familiar enemies wandering and flying around.
Hyper beast
Creator: RogueDW
There are several versions of the Hyper Beast wallpaper, inspired by the popular CS:GO skin, as seen on the M4A1-S and AWP. I like RogueDW's take on the colourful monster as it limits the animations to its eyes, giving them this sparkly effect. The bright colours and detailing in this image look great on any monitor, and let's be honest, if you've got any taste, its colours will match just about anything in your room.
After the Rain (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)
Creator: LandorftheMage123
We can't play Breath of the Wild on PC, but we can stare at this incredible painting of the lush hills of Hyrule instead. The Sheikah towers from Breath of the Wild are visibly dotted across the landscape, whereas the swaying firs and the billowing clouds of smoke make this scene beautifully mysterious.
Sea Monster
Creator: irfan_sharek
In the past, I've struggled to find nice ultrawide wallpapers. Unfortunately, Google's selection of 3440x1440 images is quite limited, so I was chuffed to find this Sea Monster scene. The vibrant pinks and deep blues make this wallpaper really pop. The animation is also quite subtle, so there's no chance you'll close all your Chrome tabs and end up frightening yourself when faced with this beast.
Water effect 13 (Light sky)
Creator: JFAexe
If you're looking for something colourful and minimalist, this water effect wallpaper is perfect. The rippling water effect is relaxing to look at, and this makes for a nice change from some of the gaming-related wallpapers I've highlighted above. As you can see, even simple backgrounds can be tasteful.
Neon Sunset
Creator: Wallpaper Engine
This wallpaper fully embraces the retro wave aesthetic. With its neon colours you can almost hear the backing track for this scene just by looking at it. It's animation is a little heavier than the other wallpapers in this list, and its infinitely scrolling terrain is just mesmerising to watch. If you pay close attention you can even spot the VHS glitch filter layered over the top.
PC Gamer Newsletter
Sign up to get the best content of the week, and great gaming deals, as picked by the editors.
Emma Matthews
As PC Gamer's guides writer, Emma is usually juggling several games at once. She loves competitive first-person shooters like CS:GO and Call of Duty, but she always has time for a few rounds of Hearthstone. She's happiest when she's rescuing pugs in Spelunky 2.
More features
Latest
See comments
Most Popular
By Jody Macgregor
By Lincoln Carpenter
By Robin Valentine
By Jacob Ridley
By Joshua Wolens
By Morgan Park
By Morgan Park
By Evan Lahti
By Noah Smith
By Robin Valentine
By Rick Lane
As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a vast amount of information and can provide insights on a wide range of topics. While I don't have personal experiences or opinions, I can provide factual information and answer questions based on available sources. Now, let's dive into the concepts mentioned in this article.
Wallpaper Engine
Wallpaper Engine is a software available on Steam that allows users to customize their desktop backgrounds with animated wallpapers. It offers a wide range of wallpapers, including gaming-related themes, and supports various resolutions and multiple monitor setups [[1]].
How to use Wallpaper Engine
To use Wallpaper Engine, you can purchase it on Steam for $3.99/£2.99. Once you have the software, you can download wallpapers from the Workshop tab. You can filter the results based on your monitor's resolution and browse through different categories such as games, sports, and television. After finding a wallpaper you like, you can subscribe to it, and it will be downloaded and displayed on your desktop. Wallpaper Engine also allows you to customize the color scheme, playback rate, mute audio, and flip the wallpaper [[1]].
Features of Wallpaper Engine wallpapers
One of the appealing aspects of Wallpaper Engine wallpapers is that many of them are animated, which adds a dynamic element to the desktop background. The library of wallpapers is extensive and continues to grow thanks to Steam Workshop support. The wallpapers mentioned in the article include:
- Dark Souls (Tomb of the Giants): This wallpaper features a cozy bonfire in Lordran's Tomb of the Giants, creating a relaxed and moody gaming atmosphere [[2]].
- Doom: This wallpaper showcases official artwork from Doom (2016) and includes animated elements that highlight the details of the artwork [[3]].
- World of Warcraft N'Zoth Parallax: This wallpaper features a towering Old God, N'Zoth, which adds a visually striking element to the desktop background [[4]].
- Firewatch: Based on the game Firewatch, this wallpaper brings the game's gorgeous art to life with animations such as wind, rustling leaves, and flying birds [[5]].
- Half-Life: Alyx - Citadel: Inspired by Half-Life: Alyx, this wallpaper allows users to gaze at the Citadel and observe familiar enemies wandering and flying around [[6]].
- Hyper beast: This wallpaper is inspired by the popular CS:GO skin, featuring a colorful monster with animated eyes [[7]].
- After the Rain (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild): This wallpaper showcases a painting of the lush hills of Hyrule from the game Breath of the Wild, creating a beautiful and mysterious scene [[8]].
- Sea Monster: This wallpaper, designed for ultrawide monitors, features vibrant colors and a subtle animation of a sea monster, adding a visually striking element to the desktop background [[9]].
- Water effect 13 (Light sky): This minimalist wallpaper features a relaxing water effect and provides a colorful and tasteful option for desktop customization [[10]].
- Neon Sunset: Embracing the retro wave aesthetic, this wallpaper features neon colors and an infinitely scrolling terrain, creating a mesmerizing visual experience [[11]].
These are just a few examples of the wallpapers available on Wallpaper Engine. The software offers a wide variety of options to suit different preferences and styles.
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!