Windows 11 Dynamic Lighting: RGB control reaches the Dev preview

If your gaming keyboard has its own lighting app, and your mouse has another, Windows 11’s new Dynamic Lighting page points towards a simpler arrangement: control compatible lights from Windows itself. But on 16 June 2023, Dynamic Lighting is an Insider Dev Channel preview in a staged rollout, with a short initial device list and known bugs. It is not a setting every Windows 11 owner can use. If your main PC runs the regular release, do not switch it to a preview channel just to change your keyboard colours.

What Dynamic Lighting is meant to do

Microsoft describes Dynamic Lighting as native control for devices that implement the open HID LampArray standard. Windows adds a Settings page for users and APIs that let Windows apps control compatible lighting devices in the foreground or background. The intended benefit is interoperability: compatible hardware and apps can use a shared Windows control surface instead of relying only on separate, device-specific lighting controls.

That standard is the key qualifier. A keyboard or mouse having RGB lights does not automatically make it compatible. The device needs to implement the relevant standard, and support depends on the exact model and firmware.

Check the exact device before looking for the switch

In its 7 June 2023 announcement for Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23475 , Microsoft said Dynamic Lighting was beginning to roll out to Dev Channel Insiders. The compatible-device list at the time included select Razer keyboards and mice and the Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse. Two ASUS ROG models were marked “coming soon”. Microsoft also cautioned that many listed products had not yet been verified by Microsoft.

The announcement names Acer, ASUS, HP, HyperX, Logitech, Razer and Twinkly as partners. That is not a promise that every RGB product from those brands works. Check the exact model on Microsoft’s list, install the device’s latest firmware, and use a wired connection if possible: Microsoft said it was aware of problems with wireless connections during this preview.

Find the controls if you are already on a Dev build

If Windows has received the feature on your PC and you have a compatible device:

Open Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting.
Turn on Use Dynamic Lighting on my devices on the all-device page, then check the setting for the individual device.
Choose the available lighting behaviour and confirm that it reaches the device.

Microsoft’s 14 June notes for Insider Preview Build 23481 still list Dynamic Lighting issues. On a first boot, the all-device switch could be off and the LEDs might not turn on. The all-device settings might not carry through to the individual device page; the device icons could be missing; and changing Windows user accounts could turn the LEDs off. Microsoft’s suggested first check was to enable the overall and per-device settings, then restart Windows if the LEDs still did not light.

If the Dynamic Lighting page is missing, that alone does not prove your device is broken. Build 23475 was a gradual rollout, so not every Dev Channel Insider received the feature at once.

Treat it as a preview, not a replacement for every device app

A single Windows page could make everyday lighting changes easier, but this preview only covers compatible lighting controls. Microsoft did not claim it replaced every manufacturer utility or brought unrelated features into Windows. If you rely on a device app for other settings, do not remove it on the assumption that Dynamic Lighting will take over those jobs.

The bigger decision is whether to test a Dev Channel build at all. In its 24 May 2023 Build 23466 announcement , Microsoft says Dev Channel features can change, disappear, or never ship beyond Insiders. That makes Dynamic Lighting reasonable to explore if your PC is already in the Dev Channel and you own a listed device. It is a poor reason to move a work or gaming PC that you depend on into pre-release software.

As of 16 June 2023, Dynamic Lighting is a promising common control surface with narrow support and rough edges. If you already meet its conditions, try the Settings page and keep a fallback for the rest of your device’s features. Otherwise, wait for Microsoft to broaden and stabilise the preview.