diff --git a/drivers/Makefile.dep b/drivers/Makefile.dep
index f5702c0145..ee01562838 100644
--- a/drivers/Makefile.dep
+++ b/drivers/Makefile.dep
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ ifneq (,$(filter ws281x_%,$(USEMODULE)))
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter ws281x,$(USEMODULE)))
-  FEATURES_REQUIRED_ANY += arch_avr8|arch_native
+  FEATURES_REQUIRED_ANY += arch_avr8|arch_esp32|arch_native
 
   ifeq (,$(filter ws281x_%,$(USEMODULE)))
     ifneq (,$(filter arch_avr8,$(FEATURES_USED)))
diff --git a/drivers/include/ws281x.h b/drivers/include/ws281x.h
index f4d210e840..fe448ee198 100644
--- a/drivers/include/ws281x.h
+++ b/drivers/include/ws281x.h
@@ -48,7 +48,17 @@
  *
  * ### Usage
  *
- * Add the following to your `Makefile` to use:
+ * Add the following to your `Makefile`:
+ *
+ * * Auto-selecting the backend:
+ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Makefile
+ * USEMODULE += ws281x
+ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ *
+ * This will automatically pull in one of the backends supported by your board.
+ * In case multiple backends apply and the automatic selection does not pick
+ * your preferred backend, you can manually pick your preferred backend as
+ * described below.
  *
  * * the ATmega backend:
  * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Makefile