diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/Config/MainSettings.cpp b/Source/Core/Core/Config/MainSettings.cpp
index 21e8efaec5..512f7edf1f 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/Config/MainSettings.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/Config/MainSettings.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "Core/HW/Memmap.h"
 #include "Core/HW/SI/SI_Device.h"
 #include "Core/PowerPC/PowerPC.h"
+#include "VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h"
 
 namespace Config
 {
@@ -97,7 +98,8 @@ const Info<bool> MAIN_OVERCLOCK_ENABLE{{System::Main, "Core", "OverclockEnable"}
 const Info<bool> MAIN_RAM_OVERRIDE_ENABLE{{System::Main, "Core", "RAMOverrideEnable"}, false};
 const Info<u32> MAIN_MEM1_SIZE{{System::Main, "Core", "MEM1Size"}, Memory::MEM1_SIZE_RETAIL};
 const Info<u32> MAIN_MEM2_SIZE{{System::Main, "Core", "MEM2Size"}, Memory::MEM2_SIZE_RETAIL};
-const Info<std::string> MAIN_GFX_BACKEND{{System::Main, "Core", "GFXBackend"}, ""};
+const Info<std::string> MAIN_GFX_BACKEND{{System::Main, "Core", "GFXBackend"},
+                                         VideoBackendBase::GetDefaultBackendName()};
 const Info<std::string> MAIN_GPU_DETERMINISM_MODE{{System::Main, "Core", "GPUDeterminismMode"},
                                                   "auto"};
 const Info<std::string> MAIN_PERF_MAP_DIR{{System::Main, "Core", "PerfMapDir"}, ""};
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/VideoBackend.h b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/VideoBackend.h
index e5b996c7e1..d5aab11a51 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/VideoBackend.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/VideoBackend.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ public:
 
   void InitBackendInfo() override;
 
+  static constexpr const char* NAME = "D3D";
+
 private:
   void FillBackendInfo();
 };
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/main.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/main.cpp
index 0372cfb609..5fa64ab88e 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/main.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/main.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace DX11
 {
 std::string VideoBackend::GetName() const
 {
-  return "D3D";
+  return NAME;
 }
 
 std::string VideoBackend::GetDisplayName() const
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/VideoBackend.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/VideoBackend.cpp
index d92599e5ea..f01a809cad 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/VideoBackend.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/VideoBackend.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace DX12
 {
 std::string VideoBackend::GetName() const
 {
-  return "D3D12";
+  return NAME;
 }
 
 std::string VideoBackend::GetDisplayName() const
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/VideoBackend.h b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/VideoBackend.h
index aaf4830d31..554ee6b690 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/VideoBackend.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/VideoBackend.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ public:
   std::string GetDisplayName() const override;
   void InitBackendInfo() override;
 
+  static constexpr const char* NAME = "D3D12";
+
 private:
   void FillBackendInfo();
 };
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Null/VideoBackend.h b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Null/VideoBackend.h
index 0930ccf7ad..49006a84b4 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Null/VideoBackend.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Null/VideoBackend.h
@@ -10,11 +10,14 @@ namespace Null
 {
 class VideoBackend final : public VideoBackendBase
 {
+public:
   bool Initialize(const WindowSystemInfo& wsi) override;
   void Shutdown() override;
 
-  std::string GetName() const override { return "Null"; }
+  std::string GetName() const override { return NAME; }
   std::string GetDisplayName() const override;
   void InitBackendInfo() override;
+
+  static constexpr const char* NAME = "Null";
 };
 }  // namespace Null
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/VideoBackend.h b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/VideoBackend.h
index 74bc929e85..01d482e275 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/VideoBackend.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/VideoBackend.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ namespace OGL
 {
 class VideoBackend : public VideoBackendBase
 {
+public:
   bool Initialize(const WindowSystemInfo& wsi) override;
   void Shutdown() override;
 
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ class VideoBackend : public VideoBackendBase
 
   void InitBackendInfo() override;
 
+  static constexpr const char* NAME = "OGL";
+
 private:
   bool InitializeGLExtensions(GLContext* context);
   bool FillBackendInfo();
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/main.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/main.cpp
index bfd2b25d6f..d1e71d55e6 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/main.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/main.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace OGL
 {
 std::string VideoBackend::GetName() const
 {
-  return "OGL";
+  return NAME;
 }
 
 std::string VideoBackend::GetDisplayName() const
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/SWmain.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/SWmain.cpp
index 2e75416171..eb03d4796c 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/SWmain.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/SWmain.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public:
 
 std::string VideoSoftware::GetName() const
 {
-  return "Software Renderer";
+  return NAME;
 }
 
 std::string VideoSoftware::GetDisplayName() const
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/VideoBackend.h b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/VideoBackend.h
index 10d70722cd..7f1426cb5d 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/VideoBackend.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/VideoBackend.h
@@ -19,5 +19,7 @@ class VideoSoftware : public VideoBackendBase
   std::optional<std::string> GetWarningMessage() const override;
 
   void InitBackendInfo() override;
+
+  static constexpr const char* NAME = "Software Renderer";
 };
 }  // namespace SW
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Vulkan/VideoBackend.h b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Vulkan/VideoBackend.h
index bcc4f9d2c8..d8b0dd33c9 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Vulkan/VideoBackend.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Vulkan/VideoBackend.h
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ public:
   bool Initialize(const WindowSystemInfo& wsi) override;
   void Shutdown() override;
 
-  std::string GetName() const override { return "Vulkan"; }
+  std::string GetName() const override { return NAME; }
   std::string GetDisplayName() const override { return _trans("Vulkan"); }
   void InitBackendInfo() override;
   void PrepareWindow(WindowSystemInfo& wsi) override;
+
+  static constexpr const char* NAME = "Vulkan";
 };
 }  // namespace Vulkan
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.cpp
index 5e7337c767..b32cff86e3 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.cpp
@@ -197,9 +197,21 @@ u16 VideoBackendBase::Video_GetBoundingBox(int index)
   return result;
 }
 
+// This function is called at static initialization, so we can't rely on s_default_backend being set
+std::string VideoBackendBase::GetDefaultBackendName()
+{
+#ifdef HAS_OPENGL
+  return OGL::VideoBackend::NAME;
+#elif defined(_WIN32)
+  return DX11::VideoBackend::NAME;
+#else
+  return Vulkan::VideoBackend::NAME;
+#endif
+}
+
 void VideoBackendBase::PopulateList()
 {
-  // OGL > D3D11 > Vulkan > SW > Null
+  // OGL > D3D11 > D3D12 > Vulkan > SW > Null
 #ifdef HAS_OPENGL
   g_available_video_backends.push_back(std::make_unique<OGL::VideoBackend>());
 #endif
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h
index 0370ef2a44..cf8b4a4f1a 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ public:
   u32 Video_GetQueryResult(PerfQueryType type);
   u16 Video_GetBoundingBox(int index);
 
+  static std::string GetDefaultBackendName();
   static void PopulateList();
   static void ClearList();
   static void ActivateBackend(const std::string& name);