Dynamic Backgrounds selection screen.
Dynamic Backgrounds are a personalization option for Xbox Series X|S consoles that include a variety of different moving backgrounds that are displayed on the console's dashboard. In total, there are currently 134 different dynamic backgrounds that can be used, ranging from game specific art to abstract designs. When selected, these types of backgrounds display a moving image that seamlessly plays itself over and over on the user's dashboard.
Dynamic Backgrounds were introduced with the New Xbox Experience Dashboard in 2020, with the feature only being available on Xbox Series X and S consoles. Upon release of the feature, Waves was the only Dynamic Background available. Six additional backgrounds were soon added in the November 2020 System Update shortly after the Series X and S released.
How to apply
Dynamic Backgrounds can be applied to a user's dashboard by following these steps.
- Open Settings.
- In the General Tab, select Personalization.
- Select My Background.
- Select Dynamic backgrounds.
- Navigate to a background and press
to apply it to the dashboard.
Controller exclusive backgrounds
By default, there are 128 Dynamic Backgrounds included on Xbox Series X|S consoles, with six additional backgrounds, Xbox 20th Anniversary, Stellar Shift, Starfield, Stormcloud Vapor, Dream Vapor, and Fire Vapor only being available to users that have the matching Special Edition controller connected to their console. Once the special edition controller is connected to a console, the background will appear amongst the list of other available backgrounds. If the user has one of these backgrounds selected and changes to another when the corresponding controller is not connected to the console, the background will no longer appear as an option. These backgrounds will only reappear once the matching controller is reconnected to the console.
List of backgrounds
Abstract
| Background | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Waves |
November 10, 2020 |
|
Waves - Faded |
November 30, 2020 |
|
Spotlight- Ultraviolet |
November 30, 2020 | |
Spotlight- Midnight |
November 30, 2020 | |
Spotlight- Deja Goo |
November 30, 2020 |
|
Ribbons |
November 30, 2020 |
|
Ripple |
November 30, 2020 |
|
Motes |
May 11, 2021 |
|
Mercury |
July 1, 2021 |
|
Xbox
| Background | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
The Original |
May 13, 2021 |
|
Game Pass |
July 2021 |
|
Xbox 20th Anniversary |
November 15, 2021 |
|
Xbox 360 |
November 16, 2021 |
|
Stellar Shift |
February 7, 2023 |
|
Xbox Pride Spotlight |
June 1, 2023 |
|
Starfield |
June 12, 2023 |
|
Stormcloud Vapor |
August 8, 2023 |
|
Xbox Series X Console Wraps - Arctic Camo |
November 10, 2023 |
|
Xbox Series X Console Wraps - Mineral Camo |
November 10, 2023 |
|
Power Your Dreams |
December 12, 2023 |
|
International Day of World's Indigenous People 2023 |
January 31, 2024 |
|
Gaming and Disability Community 2023 |
January 31, 2024 |
|
Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 |
January 31, 2024 |
|
Pride 2023 |
January 31, 2024 |
|
Black History Month 2023 |
January 31, 2024 |
|
International Womens's Day 2023 |
January 31, 2024 |
|
Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023 |
January 31, 2024 |
|
Black History Month 2024 |
February 1, 2024 |
|
Dream Vapor |
February 6, 2024 |
|
Women's History Month 2024 |
March 1, 2024 |
|
Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2024 |
May 31, 2024 |
|
Pride 2024 |
May 31, 2024 |
|
Fire Vapor |
June 2024 |
|
Xbox 360 Blades |
July 16, 2024 |
|
VOTE24 |
October 2024 |
|
Microsoft 50th Anniversary |
March 28, 2025 |
|
Pride 2025 |
June 2, 2025 |
|
Rare Ruby Anniversary |
August 4, 2025[4] |
|
Indie Selects Anniversary 2026 - Elevators |
January 28, 2026[5] | |
Indie Selects Anniversary 2026 - Escalators |
January 28, 2026[5] | |
Indie Selects Anniversary 2026 - Balloons |
January 28, 2026[5] | |
We are X |
May 1, 2026[6] |
|
We are One |
May 1, 2026[6] |
|
We are 360 |
May 1, 2026[6] |
|
We are Xbox |
May 1, 2026[6] |
|
Games
| Background | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Halo Infinite |
August 27, 2021 |
|
Halo Infinite - Courage |
December 2, 2021 |
|
Wasteland 3: Cult of the Holy Detonation |
December 2, 2021 | |
Grounded Backyard Sunset |
February 22, 2022 | |
Fallout 25th Anniversary |
October 4, 2022 |
|
State of Decay: Trumbull Valley |
October 18, 2022 | |
Pentiment Waterfall |
December 14, 2022 | |
Dead Space Planet |
January 28, 2023 | |
Destiny 2: Lightfall |
February 28, 2023 | |
Redfall |
April 24, 2023 | |
STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor |
May 5, 2023 | |
Ghostwire: Tokyo |
May 5, 2023 | |
Diablo IV |
June 6, 2023 | |
Hi-Fi RUSH |
July 5, 2023 |
|
Madden NFL 24 |
August 21, 2023 |
|
Immortals of Aveum |
August 23, 2023 | |
Starfield Journey through Space |
August 30, 2023 |
|
Forza Motorsport |
October 3, 2023 |
|
EA SPORTS UFC 5 - Arena |
October 30, 2023 | |
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III |
November 2, 2023 |
|
EA SPORTS™ WRC |
November 5, 2023 | |
NHL 24 Cale Makar |
November 2023 |
|
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - Family Kitchen |
November 30, 2023 | |
EA SPORTS FC™ 24 |
January 16, 2024 |
|
F1® 23 |
January 16, 2024 | |
EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ |
January 16, 2024 | |
Super Mega Baseball™ 4 |
January 16, 2024 |
|
Cyberpunk 2077 |
January 19, 2024 | |
Apex Legends |
February 14, 2024 | |
Skull and Bones |
February 18, 2024 | |
Avowed Key Art |
February 20, 2024 |
|
Fallout, An Original Series Dynamic Background |
March 7, 2024 | |
Blue Dragon |
March 29, 2024 |
|
Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU |
May 10, 2024 |
|
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II |
May 11, 2024 |
|
Juggernaut Edition |
May 20, 2024 |
|
Lieutenant Tius of the Ultramarines |
May 25, 2024 | |
Rogue Trader |
May 25, 2024 | |
F1® 24 |
May 31, 2024 |
|
F1® 24 Champions Edition |
May 31, 2024 |
|
EA SPORTS™ College Football 25 |
July 16, 2024 |
|
World of Tanks Modern Armor |
August 12, 2024 | |
World of Warships: Legends - USS Missouri |
August 2024 | |
EVERSPACE 2 Dynamic Background |
September 16, 2024 | |
Starfield Shattered Space |
September 30, 2024 |
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 |
October 19, 2024 |
|
THRONE AND LIBERTY - Claim the Throne Dynamic Background |
October 23, 2024 | |
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Dragon) |
November 1, 2024 |
|
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Minrathous) |
November 1, 2024 |
|
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 |
November 19, 2024 |
|
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl |
November 20, 2024 |
|
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle |
December 3, 2024 | |
Madden NFL 25 |
February 2025 | |
Monster Hunter Wilds - Dynamic Background |
March 5, 2025 | |
Split Fiction Dynamic Background |
March 5, 2025 |
|
WWE 2K25 Deadman Edition |
March 7, 2025 |
|
Sea of Thieves: Sunset |
March 14, 2025 | |
Sea of Thieves: Megalodon |
March 14, 2025 | |
Towerborne - Dynamic Background |
March 17, 2025 |
|
South of Midnight |
April 5, 2025 |
|
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered |
April 22, 2025 |
|
DOOM: The Dark Ages |
April 25, 2025 |
|
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 10th Anniversary — Dynamic Background |
May 21, 2025 | |
Metaphor - ReFantiazio |
May 21, 2025 | |
Warhammer 40,000- Boltgun |
May 23, 2025 | |
Hundred Bullets |
June 16, 2025[8] | |
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 |
July 7, 2025[9] |
|
Grounded 2 |
July 30, 2025[10] |
|
EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 26 |
August 18, 2025[11] |
|
Gears of War: Reloaded |
August 19, 2025[12] |
|
NINJA GAIDEN 4 |
August 26, 2025[13] |
|
DUCKSIDE: Special DUCK-OPS |
September 4, 2025[14] |
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 - Vault Edition |
September 25, 2025[15] |
|
Battlefield 6 |
October 2025 |
|
Keeper |
October 11, 2025[16] |
|
The Elder Scrolls Online |
October 21, 2025[17] |
|
The Outer Worlds 2 |
October 21, 2025[17] |
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 |
November 8, 2025[18] |
|
EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 26 Holiday |
November 2025 | |
Fallout 76: Burning Springs |
December 18, 2025[19] |
|
Fallout Season Two, An Amazon Original Series |
December 18, 2025[19] |
|
Crimson Desert |
March 25, 2026[20] | |
Towerborne 2026 |
March 25, 2026[20] |
|
Sea of Thieves: Reaper's Mark |
March 25, 2026[20] |
|
Kiln |
April 21, 2026[21] |
|
Overwatch |
April 21, 2026[21] |
|
Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred |
April 30, 2026[22] |
|
Invincible VS |
April 30, 2026[22] |
|
Forza Horizon 6 |
May 9, 2026[23] |
|
Unreleased
There have been several Dynamic Backgrounds that have been shown in Xbox Wire posts and stated as being "available today" that have actually not been made available on consoles. Most of these unreleased backgrounds are tied to culture, heritage, or other awareness dates. Despite being mentioned and even shown in Xbox Wire posts, these backgrounds have not been released, most likely because Xbox forgot to make them available for users as they have previously done with the controller exclusive Fire Vapor, and Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2024 Dynamic Backgrounds which were released months after they were first stated as being available.
Each unreleased background can be found in the table below.
| Background | Intended Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples |
August 9, 2024 | |
Mental Wellness Awareness 2024 |
December 16, 2024[26] |
References
- ↑ Team Xbox (May 1, 2024). "Xbox Empowers Asian and Pacific Islander Communities with GameTan and NEEL". Xbox Wire. Retrieved on June 1, 2024.
- ↑ THE0AKL3Y (May 24, 2024). "Fire vapor dynamic background not showing up is there a fix?". Microsoft Community. Retrieved on August 1, 2024.
- ↑ Team Xbox (June 2, 2025). "We Have Each Other: Celebrating Pride Through Play". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on June 8, 2025. Retrieved on June 8, 2025.
- ↑ Park, Adam (August 4, 2025). "Rare Celebrates 40 Years with Ruby-Themed Exclusives and More". Xbox Wire. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Estrada, Raymond (January 28, 2026). "Indie Selects Anniversary Celebration – Our Yearly Selects, a Huge Indie Sale, and Xbox Dynamic Backgrounds". Xbox Wire. Retrieved on February 6, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Hales, Adam (May 1, 2026). "Xbox added its new logo to dynamic backgrounds faster than I expected, as CEO Asha Sharma confirms: "Dropping today"". Windows Central. Retrieved on May 12, 2026.
- ↑ Colbert, Isaiah (March 30, 2024). "Xbox Honors Akira Toriyama With a Free Blue Dragon Dynamic Background". IGN. Retrieved on April 22, 2024.
- ↑ Lawson, Sean (June 16, 2025). "New Xbox dynamic background is one of the worst we've seen in a while". TrueAchievements. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ Lawson, Sean (July 7, 2025). "Xbox gets new dynamic background for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4". TrueAchievements. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ Lawson, Sean (July 30, 2025). "Grounded 2 gets dynamic background alongside Xbox Game Pass release". TrueAchievements. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ Eylers-Stephenson, Kes (August 18, 2025). "Xbox Series X|S touches down a new Madden NFL 26 dynamic background". TrueAchievements. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ Eylers-Stephenson, Kes (August 19, 2025). "Xbox adds Gears of War: Reloaded dynamic background, available now". TrueAchievements. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ West, Tom (August 26, 2025). "Xbox adds new dynamic background for Ninja Gaiden 4". TrueAchievements. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ "TINYBUILD’S PvPvE SURVIVAL SHOOTER DUCKSIDE LAUNCHES ON XBOX SERIES X|S & PLAYSTATION 5 SEPTEMBER 3". Seattle: Game Press (August 14, 2025). Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ Norris, Jesse (September 25, 2025). "Black Ops 7 gets an Xbox Series Dynamic Background". Xbox Era. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ Clarke, Jon (October 11, 2025). "DoubleFine detail Keeper Global Launch Timings, Xbox Dynamic Background". Xbox Era. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Kerry, Ben (October 21, 2025). "Two More First-Party Games Get Dynamic Backgrounds On Xbox Series X|S". Pure Xbox. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ McIntyre, Jared (November 8, 2025). "Xbox Drops Black Ops 7 Dynamic Background Gamers Celebrate". HappyGamer. Retrieved on November 12, 2025.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Thibaut (December 18, 2025). "Two new animated Fallout themes are available now on Xbox Series". Instant Gaming News. Retrieved on May 12, 2026.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Lawson, Sean (March 25, 2026). "Xbox adds three new dynamic backgrounds for Series X|S consoles". True Achievements. Retrieved on May 12, 2025.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lawson, Sean (April 21, 2026). "Xbox Series X|S gets two fresh dynamic backgrounds". True Achievements. Retrieved on May 12, 2026.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 @tomwarren (April 30, 2026). "Xbox has released a new Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred Dynamic Background for Xbox Series S / X consoles". X (Twitter). Retrieved on May 12, 2026.
- ↑ @IdleSloth84_ (May 9, 2026). "Microsoft has released a new Forza Horizon 6 dynamic background for the Xbox Series X|S". X (Twitter). Retrieved on May 12, 2026.
- ↑ Team Xbox (August 9, 2024). "Xbox: A Modern Canvas for Indigenous Storytelling". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved on November 18, 2025.
- ↑ Team Xbox (August 8, 2025). "History Reclaimed, Futures Reimagined: Celebrating Indigenous Storytelling Through Games". Xbox Wire. Retrieved on November 18, 2025.
- ↑ Team Xbox (December 16, 2024). "This Holiday, Xbox, The Coalition, Double Fine, Ninja Theory and More Support Mental Wellness". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved on November 11, 2025.