Windows 10 “Hero” Wallpaper
Purpose of the Project
When Microsoft prepared to launch Windows 10, they wanted a desktop image as iconic as Windows XP’s Bliss. To achieve that, they turned to a creative team led by GMUNK and Joe Picard, with PRECISION providing the laser design and equipment that would give the image its defining character. The goal was to create a wallpaper that felt cinematic, authentic, and instantly recognizable as the face of a new era of Windows.
How It Was Made
In a darkened studio, a cut-out of the Windows logo was suspended in a haze filled room. PRECISION projected laser beams through the acrylic edges, created volumetric rays and glowing edges that looked alive in camera. Over two days, thousands of frames were captured—each flare, shaft of light, and glowing highlight produced by real optics and lasers, not CGI. The best exposures were layered together into one striking, high-resolution final image.
Usage and Reach
The completed Hero wallpaper became the default background and lock screen for every Windows 10 device starting in July 2015. It quickly became the visual identity of the operating system, featured in launch advertising, product demos, and press worldwide.
By 2020, Windows 10 had surpassed 1 billion active devices. That means more than a billion people have seen lasers designed and supplied by PRECISION each time they logged in—a scale no other laser project has ever approached. It is, by every measure, the most popular laser project in human history.
Public and Press Reaction
When Windows 10 launched, users immediately noticed the darker, futuristic aesthetic. But when Microsoft revealed that the image had been created with real lasers and practical photography, public appreciation deepened. Headlines in Wired, The Verge, PCWorld, Mashable, and ABC News marveled at the craft: “Microsoft shot real lasers through a window to make Windows 10’s wallpaper.”
For many, what had seemed like a simple graphic became something far more interesting—a cultural touchpoint that showed how lasers could shape global design at an unprecedented scale.
Legacy
For PRECISION, the Hero wallpaper represents a singular achievement: a laser-driven image that transcended its medium to become part of everyday life for over a billion users. It stands as proof that lasers are not only for concerts or events—they can shape global visual culture.
SEE IT LIVE
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