How to Find the Best Wallpapers for Your Favourite Games
By Milton
Published March 21, 2024
How to Find the Best Wallpapers for Your Favourite Games
Having a good PC setup is a core part of being a gamer. While a good setup is built of powerful hardware, functional peripherals, and night lighting, it’s also about what actually shows up on the screen when you boot up your PC. Yes, I’m talking about your wallpaper. That much-overlooked part of the entire experience. While most people think getting your hands on a great wallpaper is as easy as a quick Google search, that’s not the case. If you limit yourself to Google, you’ll often find yourself picking up some low-resolution images of less-than-ideal moments of your favorite games.
In this article we will move your wallpaper game up a level, introducing you to four great ways to get your hands on top-quality wallpapers which are both unique and high quality.
1. Official Game Websites and Social Media
Many game publishers and developers understand that fans want to see breathtaking art from their favorite games. Often, they’ll release high-resolution images which can be used as wallpapers by fans. These can be found in a few different places:
First, they could be found on developer/publisher websites. Particularly through press releases of new or upcoming titles. Many developers even offer packages of downloadable images which were purpose-built as wallpapers.
Second, social media profiles from developers are a key place where promotion takes place; thus you can often find really high-quality images there. While it’s recommended that you still search out the original image, as social media has some compression, these images can still be good enough to use as wallpaper.
Third, check sites like Steam where developers post community updates. These will often include some breathtaking splash art which you can use as wallpapers.
2. Fan Art Websites
If gamers are one thing; they are passionate. Thanks to that fact, most popular games have formed strong communities around them. Within those communities are tonnes of talented artists, making fan art a great option for those looking for desktop backgrounds.
Fan art often takes elements from the main game and twists them in interesting ways. Be that unlikely character combinations, franchise mashups or totally new imaginings of the characters and environments you’ve grown to love.
A few good places to look for fan art are Art Station, DeviantArt, and Pixiv. All three of these cater to different styles of fan art and different communities. Pixiv, in particular, specializes in manga and anime influences, while ArtStation and DeviantArt are more diverse Western-based platforms.
If you do find a piece of fan art that you love, be sure to show the creator some love online. Be it through a social post or donating to them through Patreon or another platform. As these artists are often fans, this art will rarely make them much money. So showing your love can go a long way.
3. In-Game Screenshots
If none of the images you can find online catch your eye, there’s always the opportunity to make your own wallpapers from in-game screenshots. This not only allows you to capture your very favorite part of a game, but it also gives you a one-of-a-kind image that will certainly wow other fans of the same game.
To do this, you’ll want to consider a few things before starting to snap away:
- Maximise graphics settings: To ensure you get the best, max out all the graphics settings when taking screenshots. Particularly resolution, anti-aliasing, and texture quality. Of course, this can come with a compromise to performance, so you may need to strike a balance between what your system can handle and the maximum possible settings.
- Find the perfect scene: Explore the game world and find a place to get that eye-catching wallpaper.
- Photography skills: The best shots often use the laws of photography to draw and guide the eye of the viewer. Consider elements like the foreground, midground, and background alongside the rule of thirds, leading lines, and more to capture the best possible image.
- Check for photo modes: Many modern games feature specific modes made to take screen captures of the world without all the clutter. These can be photo modes or replay modes. These also help to hide HUD and character elements which can otherwise be hard to get rid of. This is possible even in competitive games like Fortnite through Replay modes. Speaking of, if you’re looking to capture the perfect wallpaper in Fortnite you can buy cheap vbucks to get your hands on some of the best skins for your wallpapers.
- Disable the HUD: Most games feature things like minimaps, health bars, ammo counters, and more. Disabling these is a key to capturing the perfect screenshot. Most games will have a mode where you can easily turn these off, so check the controls or do a quick Google search for a workaround.
4. Wallpaper Engine
If you’re truly looking to level up your wallpaper experience, you can consider using Wallpaper Engine, on Steam. This is a software that allows you to use animated wallpapers on your desktop. You can choose from a variety of wallpapers created by the community or animate some yourself. These animated wallpapers can help to bring your desktop to life.
Express Your Passion
When on a computer, your desktop is like your home. You want it to feel cosy and familiar, but also inspiring. A desktop is a blank canvas for you to express yourself through. Thus, finding the best images is a must for anyone looking to truly personalize their setup.
Also, remember that your wallpaper can change on the fly. You don’t need to commit to one long-term. If you pick up a new title you might want to switch up the wallpaper, or even make a rotation of your favorite games. The options are diverse; so start personalizing your desktop today.