Xbox Series X players can get nostalgic with this free original Xbox dynamic theme

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Did you also just hear the original Xbox startup noise?

Xbox Series X
(Image credit: Future)

Xbox players can now download a nostalgic original Xbox dynamic theme for free. 

Added to the dynamic theme selection as part of the Xbox One’s May 2021 system update, fans of the classic console can now apply its iconic green visuals to their Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S home screen.  

Named ‘The Original’, the dynamic background features the oh-so-familiar green orb from the days of Xbox past and gives the entire home screen a retro look. Don't expect it to mirror the original console's UI though, it just provides a warming wave of nostalgia on the home screen. 

To get this theme for yourself, you just need to head to your console’s Settings > General > Personalisation > My background > Dynamic background - which is where you cycle through all of the options available until you find ‘The Original’ at the end. You do need to make sure that your Xbox has been updated to the latest version first though. 

This free theme has not so coincidentally lined up with the original Xbox’s 20th anniversary, which takes place November 15, 2021. Fingers crossed that this is just the start of Microsoft’s plans this year to honor the classic chunky console. 

Of course, getting your hands on an Xbox Series X / S has been easier said than done in recent months. Xbox’s head of gaming services Ben Decker recently told GamesRadar that the company “wishes we had more supply, but we’re working all the time.”

If you’re lucky enough to already own the next-gen Xbox, take a look at our best Xbox Series X games list to find out what you should be playing. 

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.