Achieving the Perfect Big Sur RC1 Vibe on Rainmeter (DeviantArt Edition) If you’ve been scrolling through the Rainmeter galleries on DeviantArt lately, you’ve probably noticed a clean, glassy, floating aesthetic dominating the "Hot" feeds. That’s the influence of Big Sur RC1 . Apple’s macOS Big Sur design language (rounded corners, translucent sidebars, neon gradients, and Neumorphism) has become the gold standard for modern desktop customization. But here’s the secret: The "RC1" (Release Candidate 1) era skins on DeviantArt are often better optimized, lighter on CPU, and more authentic than the final versions. Here’s why you need to upgrade your Windows desktop with Big Sur RC1 Rainmeter skins right now. Why "RC1" Specifically? (And Not the Final Build) When you search "Big Sur" on DeviantArt, you get hundreds of results. However, the RC1 tagged skins (often uploaded by veteran creators like niivu , alex-as-dev , or hiphopium ) have a specific advantage:
The "Real" Transparency: Final skins sometimes over-flatten to match Apple’s later updates. RC1 skins retain that deep, blurry vibrancy (the frosted glass look) that makes Big Sur iconic. Lower Resource Usage: RC1 developers focused on functionality first. You’ll find these skins use less Rainmeter.dll lag and fewer background processes than the bloated "all-in-one" suites released months later. Widget Variety: RC1 was a wild west of creativity. You get weird, wonderful widgets—like the CPU graph that looks like the Activity Monitor or a music visualizer hidden inside a menu bar —that got abandoned in later "stable" updates.
The "DeviantArt Better" Trinity To get that jaw-dropping setup that looks like a native Mac but runs on Windows, you need three specific skins. These are the top performers right now: 1. Big Sur RC1 Dock (by theunjx )
Why it’s better: Unlike other docks, this RC1 skin uses real-time blur mapping. When you drag a window behind it, the dock icons seem to float inside the blur. Pro tip: Disable the default Windows taskbar. Right-click the skin > Settings > "On Desktop" (not "Normal"). big sur rc1 for rainmeter deviantart better
2. Monterey Menu Bar for Rainmeter (RC1 Edit)
Why it’s better: The RC1 version includes a live "Now Playing" dropdown that works with Spotify and YouTube Music. The final version removed this for "stability." Customization: Change the font to SF Pro Display (download it legally from Apple’s font page).
3. Frosted Glass Widgets - Big Sur Pack
The essentials: Date, time, weather, battery circle, and a system meter. The trick: Set the background opacity to 180 and the blur radius to 35px . This replicates the "vibrant" layer effect of macOS exactly.
How to Make it "Better" (The DeviantArt Secret Sauce) Most users download the skin and stop. To make it better , do this: Step 1: Patch Your Rainmeter Download the latest Rainmeter 4.5.x beta from the official site. RC1 skins rely on new !SetTransparency and Shape meters that the stable version doesn't support. Step 2: Edit the Variables.inc file Open the skin folder in Notepad. Change these values:
FontWeight=600 (Apple uses Semibold, not Regular) CornerRadius=12 (Big Sur uses 12px rounded corners, not 8px) BlurMultiplier=1.5 (Doubles the glass effect) Achieving the Perfect Big Sur RC1 Vibe on
Step 3: Wallpaper Synergy Download the "Big Sur RC1 Gradient Wave" wallpapers (search user wallpaperwaifu on DA). These have the exact color hex codes that the Rainmeter skins use for their auto-color features. When you change your accent color in Windows, the widgets will shift hue perfectly. The Verdict Forget the paid MacOS launchers. Rainmeter + Big Sur RC1 from DeviantArt gives you a faster, more customizable, and arguably better-looking desktop than a real Mac. The RC1 builds have the soul of the design before Apple neutered it. So go to DeviantArt, search "Big Sur RC1 Rainmeter" , sort by "Most Downloads" or "Most Favorites," and build the desk setup that makes your friends ask, "Wait, is that a Hackintosh?" Your turn: What’s your favorite hidden Big Sur RC1 widget? Drop the DeviantArt link in the comments below.
Liked this post? Check out my gallery for my "Monterey RC2" setup next week.