A computer system used for display of computer-generated mixed-reality, virtual-reality or augmented-reality scenes comprising: one or more peripheral display portions around a primary display; one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable hardware storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions being executable by the one or more processors to cause the computer system to selectively control when a peripheral display portion is activated to render a peripheral visualization based on various attributes associated with a given computer-generated scene by causing the computer system to: set all pixels in the one or more peripheral display portions to a normally off configuration; render the given computer-generated scene; determine characteristics of at least one element associated with the given computer-generated scene, wherein the characteristics describing: i) a role of the at least one element based on an event that involves the at least one element in relation to the given computer-generated scene, or ii) a relative position that indicates whether the at least one element is either near or intersecting with an edge region of at least one peripheral display portion; set a saliency threshold based on at least one or more of the determined characteristics, wherein the saliency threshold is either dynamically adjustable based on content included in the given computer-generated scene, or is adjustable by a user of the computer system; based on one or more of the determined characteristics used to determine the saliency threshold, determine that the at least one element is salient and determine a saliency magnitude of the at least one element; determine that the at least one element's saliency magnitude meets or exceeds a saliency threshold, and after determining that the at least one element's saliency magnitude meets or exceeds the saliency threshold, activate the pixels of the at least one peripheral display portion so as to render the peripheral visualization of the at least one element on the at least one peripheral display. one or more peripheral display portions around a primary display; one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable hardware storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions being executable by the one or more processors to cause the computer system to selectively control when a peripheral display portion is activated to render a peripheral visualization based on various attributes associated with a given computer-generated scene by causing the computer system to: set all pixels in the one or more peripheral display portions to a normally off configuration; render the given computer-generated scene; determine characteristics of at least one element associated with the given computer-generated scene, wherein the characteristics describing: i) a role of the at least one element based on an event that involves the at least one element in relation to the given computer-generated scene, or ii) a relative position that indicates whether the at least one element is either near or intersecting with an edge region of at least one peripheral display portion; set a saliency threshold based on at least one or more of the determined characteristics, wherein the saliency threshold is either dynamically adjustable based on content included in the given computer-generated scene, or is adjustable by a user of the computer system; based on one or more of the determined characteristics used to determine the saliency threshold, determine that the at least one element is salient and determine a saliency magnitude of the at least one element; determine that the at least one element's saliency magnitude meets or exceeds a saliency threshold, and after determining that the at least one element's saliency magnitude meets or exceeds the saliency threshold, activate the pixels of the at least one peripheral display portion so as to render the peripheral visualization of the at least one element on the at least one peripheral display. set all pixels in the one or more peripheral display portions to a normally off configuration; render the given computer-generated scene; determine characteristics of at least one element associated with the given computer-generated scene, wherein the characteristics describing: i) a role of the at least one element based on an event that involves the at least one element in relation to the given computer-generated scene, or ii) a relative position that indicates whether the at least one element is either near or intersecting with an edge region of at least one peripheral display portion; set a saliency threshold based on at least one or more of the determined characteristics, wherein the saliency threshold is either dynamically adjustable based on content included in the given computer-generated scene, or is adjustable by a user of the computer system; based on one or more of the determined characteristics used to determine the saliency threshold, determine that the at least one element is salient and determine a saliency magnitude of the at least one element; determine that the at least one element's saliency magnitude meets or exceeds a saliency threshold, and after determining that the at least one element's saliency magnitude meets or exceeds the saliency threshold, activate the pixels of the at least one peripheral display portion so as to render the peripheral visualization of the at least one element on the at least one peripheral display.