Windows 11 will finally address this shortcoming in webcams.

A new preview version of Windows 11 has recently been released, build 26120.2702, which incorporates a highly anticipated feature related to the camera. Once fully implemented on all devices with Windows 11, users will be able to use multiple applications simultaneously with their camera. Microsoft has indicated that this functionality was primarily developed to facilitate video streaming simultaneously to a sign language interpreter and the audience, though users are likely to find various applications for it.

Users will be able to enable the option called "multi-app camera" in the new advanced camera settings page, which will also include another functionality known as "basic camera." According to Microsoft, the latter will enable basic camera functionality to aid in diagnosing and resolving issues when the webcam is not functioning properly.

Furthermore, the company has stated that a future update will add an option to select parameters such as resolution or frame rate for the camera. It's important to note that when using this new feature, it will be necessary to adjust the camera settings directly from the Windows 11 settings, as configurations within applications will have no effect. Until now, using the camera feed in multiple Windows 11 applications required resorting to third-party virtual camera apps that duplicate the webcam feed. This new implementation will significantly ease this process.

Regarding the reason why Microsoft had not included this feature earlier, although it may have been a technical challenge in the past, there likely hasn't been a solid justification for its delay in recent years.