While consoles don’t allow for as much personalization as a gaming PC, you can still enjoy small touches to make your system match your tastes. On an Xbox Series X or Series S, one of the easiest ways to do this is by setting a new background for your home screen.

But you don’t have to stick to boring static wallpapers; your Xbox includes several dynamic backgrounds that add life to your menu experience. Let’s look at the best ones.

How to Access Dynamic Backgrounds on Xbox Series X|S

To access the options related to your background on an Xbox Series X or S, head to Settings > General > Personalization > My background. Here, select the Dynamic backgrounds option to browse the available options.

We’ll stick to listing the best dynamic Xbox themes here. Since there are only 17 at the time of writing, it’s worth walking through them all. They’re broken up into three categories.

If you need more help navigating the menus, see our guide to setting a dynamic theme on Xbox Series X|S.

Abstract

These backgrounds are playful and don’t stick to a specific style of art.

1. Waves

Waves is a simple background with twisted bands that slowly move across your screen. It’s an attractive animation that doesn’t distract from the content on the menus.

This background is affected by the color you choose for your system, letting you further customize it. See our guide on other ways to personalize your Xbox to learn how to set your favorite color and thus change this dynamic wallpaper (and many others).

2. Waves: Faded

This background is the same as Waves, except the colors are washed out. If you find that Waves makes it too hard to see what’s happening in the menu, try this for a muted approach.

Like Waves, this background is affected by your system color.

3. Spotlight: Ultraviolet

Choosing this background gives you an abstract blob of purple, pink, and blue coloring. It’s similar to looking at something through a microscope. The slow-moving and simple background is great for minimalists, and isn’t affected by your system color.

4. Spotlight: Midnight

Midnight is the same style as Ultraviolet but uses blue, green, and yellow colors. If you prefer cooler shades of color, give this one a try.

5. Spotlight: Deja Goo

The final Spotlight dynamic theme is like its siblings. Its color scheme is orange and blue, which gives it more of a contrasting look. It calls to mind memories of an autumn day by the water.

6. Ribbons

Ribbons displays several bands, which are all black except for one. The individual band is green by default, or will change to your chosen Xbox system color. And since it's dynamic, the bands move slightly.

7. Ripple

Like a rock dropped into a pool of water, the Ripple background shows rings pulsing out from a central spot. It’s a calming, slow motion. Try changing your system color to blue to get even more of an aquatic effect.

8. Motes

This background will make you feel like you’re looking into a field of fireflies, or perhaps into a starry sky. It features a smoky background with floating lights in front, making it a good choice for fans of the night.

Try a different color to make it even darker.

9. The Original

Feeling nostalgia for the first Xbox console? This dynamic background brings back the startup animation and home menu background from Microsoft’s first console. For some reason, it’s not under the Xbox heading.

If you’ve been an Xbox owner for decades, this one will bring back good memories. And you’re not limited to a cool visual; you can play many old Xbox games on your Series X|S too.

10. Mercury

The Xbox dynamic background called Mercury looks like a pool of the namesake element shifting around. It brings a lava lamp-like experience to your Xbox, and is the last theme on the list that changes to reflect your chosen Xbox color.

Xbox

These backgrounds celebrate the Xbox brand and its history.

11. Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass is one of the best deals in gaming, and you can celebrate it with this dynamic wallpaper. It depicts a set of buildings with gaming icons like a lightning bolt, arcade machine, and heart.

The dynamic elements, such as the heart hovering and the lights shining, are subtle. But its unique art style helps it stand out among the options.

If you’re not a member yet, check out our intro to Xbox Game Pass to learn how it works.

12. Xbox 20th Anniversary

Xbox had its 20th birthday in November 2001, and this special background was part of the celebration. It features “20” with an Xbox logo inside the zero, along with dots moving around the elements on the edges.

This background is unique in that you must have the Xbox 20th Anniversary controller connected to your console for it to show in the list. At the time of writing, this controller is sold out on Microsoft’s store, so you’ll need to turn to another retailer or third-party options if you’re interested.

13. Xbox 360

If you want to celebrate Xbox history but can’t get the anniversary controller, try this background. It features the classic Xbox 360 logo and green rings, which move slightly to give it a dynamic element.

Games

Finally, there are a few dynamic backgrounds that represent Xbox titles.

14. Halo Infinite

Celebrate the latest release in the Halo franchise with this dynamic wallpaper. It features the game’s box art with some small active elements, like the ship moving and flares going up in the background.

15. Halo Infinite: Courage

Here’s another Halo Infinite dynamic background that shows an action scene. The moving elements include shots darting across the screen and dust being kicked up in the background.

16. Wasteland 3: Cult of the Holy Detonation

This background promotes DLC for Wasteland 3 by letting you use a scene from the game as your background. The dynamic elements are subtle, meaning it’s likely that only fans of this game will enjoy this background.

And since the DLC has received largely negative reviews on Steam, it’s safe to call this the worst Xbox Series X|S dynamic background. This isn’t even an Xbox-published title, so it's a strange inclusion.

17. Grounded Backyard Sunset

Grounded is a survival game published by Xbox Game Studios that shrinks you down to the size of an ant. As a result, this dynamic scene has a perspective from the ground. You’ll see the water and light shift as you enjoy the scenery from the eyes of a bug.

Spruce Up Your Xbox With Dynamic Themes

With over a dozen options to choose from, there’s something for everyone in the list of Xbox Series X|S dynamic backgrounds. Microsoft has slowly added to the list over time, so we should see even more backgrounds throughout the life of these consoles.

Beyond backgrounds, there are many ways to get more from your Xbox Series X or S.