There is a way to run Wallpaper Engine files on Mac, with caveats

Mac users can finally run their favorite Wallpaper Engine animated backgrounds natively without booting up Windows. Here's how to get it done, and what the limitations are today.

Vivid Walls has an aurora wallpaper. Image credit: v2osk
Wallpaper Engine lets people create animated desktop backgrounds, including scenes that respond to music or the mouse pointer. Users share their creations through Steam Workshop, Steam's service for distributing user-created content.

Developer James Goodnight says Vivid Walls is designed to render those scene files directly on a Mac using its own graphics engine. The app isn't affiliated with Wallpaper Engine, and Goodnight says it doesn't require Windows to display imported scenes.

Our hands-on testing covered Vivid Walls' bundled videos, playback controls, library features, and importing a 4K video wallpaper through its Wallpaper Engine importer. We didn't test interactive scene files, so these results don't establish how accurately the app reproduces their effects or behavior.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums