Mac users can finally run Wallpaper Engine animated backgrounds natively without booting up Windows. Vivid Walls, developed by James Goodnight, renders scene files directly on Mac using its own graphics engine and does not require Windows. The app supports importing Wallpaper Engine files via its importer, including videos, web content, still images, and GIFs.

Testing showed bundled 1080p videos play correctly with controls for alignment, volume, and speed. Playlists and favorites work as expected. However, interactive scene files responding to music or mouse input were not tested, so accuracy of reproduction remains unverified.

Vivid Walls requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and an M1 chip or newer Mac. The test was conducted on an M3 MacBook Air with 16GB RAM and a prerelease of macOS 27. Eight bundled themes (city, beach, forest, fireplace, space) are included.

While video playback functions well, scene interactivity limitations persist. The app is not affiliated with Wallpaper Engine or Steam Workshop.