Fans of Xbox have seen several different dashboards since the original console released way back in 2001, and now Microsoft has officially updated the Xbox Series X/S to include an homage to the original Xbox's dashboard for retro enthusiasts.
Part of this month's update to the Xbox Series X/S allows Xbox fans to select "The Original" Xbox dashboard animation as a dynamic background which is called The Original. Xbox fans will be greeted by a glowing and pulsating green orb which is accompanied by a slowly rotating polygonal background.
Xbox fans who choose to enable this freshly renewed classic dashboard can find it by going into Settings, clicking on Dynamic Backgrounds, and scrolling all the way to the end for The Original. Gamers who played the original Xbox several years ago will likely be hit by nostalgia once the new dashboard is activated, but even those who are unfamiliar with it will notice how much more life this dynamic background breathes into the home screen. With Xbox focusing so hard on backward compatibility, it isn't a big surprise to see another homage to the console that began Microsoft's console journey.
Previous to the release of The Original dynamic background, "Ripple" and "Motes" were the most animated dashboards that Xbox fans could choose on Xbox Series X/S. The Original now adds a little more animation to the screen that gamers on this next-gen platform will be the most familiar with thanks to both the animated orb and the moving background. While the three "Spotlight" dynamic backgrounds provide Xbox fans with a wider color palette beyond just green, The Original is Xbox green from top to bottom. Since the original dashboard, Microsoft has been making the home screen of each of its consoles progressively more minimalistic, but the Xbox Series X/S has a number of options that liven things up.
This new Dashboard option improves upon the Xbox Series X/S experience for players who haven't looked into other dynamic backgrounds, but there are other ways retro enthusiasts celebrate the original Xbox. Just as the original Xbox had an iconic dashboard, the platform that started it all also had a memorable boot-up animation. However, this animation hasn't been announced for the Xbox Series X/S; it's likely that The Original dashboard is the only way fans of the first Xbox can express themselves on Xbox Series X/S. Unlike the Xbox Series X/S boot sequence, the original Xbox animation included the orb featured in The Original dynamic theme pulsating violently within the confines of the original Xbox logo.
Source: IGN