The timing is no coincidence, as we’re about to say goodbye to the Xbox 360.

Microsoft has released a new dynamic background for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. It follows the Blades style of the Xbox 360. Blades (that’s what this Xbox 360 UI ran under) had a tabbed interface. It allowed users to move between console functions by jumping between Blades. It launched in November 2005, so it was the first UI for the X360, and it was replaced three years later by NXE, the New Xbox Experience.

How do you get this dynamic background? Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide. Navigate to Profile & System > Settings > General > Personalization > My Background > Dynamic Backgrounds. Under Featured, select Xbox 360 Blades or Xbox Dynamic Backgrounds. Use the A button to select the wallpaper you want. Then you’re ready to enjoy some retro style.

Takes you back, doesn’t it?

Enjoy some sweet nostalgia with the new Xbox 360 Blades dynamic background, available today. pic.twitter.com/AYElkktM9K

— Xbox (@Xbox) July 16, 2024

The timing is no accident. It’s the last time the Xbox 360 will be offering discounts, as the Redmond-based tech giant is shutting down the digital store for its two-year-old console later this month. While it will still be possible to download previously purchased titles in the near future, it will no longer be possible to purchase games and DLC from the Xbox 360 Marketplace after July 29. VGC estimates that around 220 games will disappear completely, so even if the majority of titles are available elsewhere, if these titles are not purchased they will disappear permanently, and this would be a very bad move for game preservation.

So the Xbox 360 will soon be completely gone (production was finished much earlier), but this can be bridged by emulation in the future. It will be the only solution later (especially for those 220 or so titles!).

Source: VGC