Xbox Gets New Dynamic Background

Summary

Xbox releases South of Midnight-inspired dynamic background for Xbox Series X/S consoles.
The background depicts the game’s protagonist, Hazel, with animated vegetation.
Dynamic backgrounds contribute to UI makeover and game discoverability on Xbox.

Xbox players have received a South of Midnight-inspired dynamic background ahead of the game’s release on April 8, 2025, on Microsoft’s console and PC platforms. It is the latest addition to Xbox’s growing catalog of such backgrounds, which features ones based on popular titles such as Halo Infinite, Diablo 4, and Starfield.

With the well-received launch of Avowed in February 2025, Xbox kicked off the year on a positive note. Given that even more big releases, such as Doom: The Dark Ages and Ninja Gaiden 4, are slated for arrival in the coming months, it has shaped up to be an exciting period for Xbox and its fans. Apart from such AAA heavyweights, certain smaller experiences are also scheduled to come from the console maker, one of which is South of Midnight, developed by Compulsion Games. In the build-up to the action-adventure title’s launch, the developers recently shipped a new background on current-gen Xbox consoles.

South of Midnight: 5 Beginner Tips

Players will have a much easier time getting the hang of South of Midnight with these useful tips.

Xbox has rolled out a South of Midnight-themed dynamic background that is freely available for users on Xbox Series X/S. As revealed in Compulsion Games’ announcement, the new background essentially depicts the game’s cover art, which features the game’s protagonist, Hazel. Although the image may look static at a glance, some animation is visible in the vegetation toward the bottom of the artwork. Interestingly, this is the second such offering made available to Xbox players in the space of a few days, following the dynamic background added to celebrate Microsoft’s 50 years as an organization.

South of Midnight Gets Its Own Xbox Dynamic Background Ahead of Launch

Even though Xbox’s dynamic backgrounds may not seem like a big deal, they are still a nice touch for enthusiasts and for those who like to freshen things up occasionally. These themed items not only give the UI a noticeable makeover, but their routine addition also potentially contributes towards making corresponding games easier to discover. Thanks to South of Midnight‘s inclusion in Xbox’s collection of dynamic backgrounds, Hazel has now joined a cast of highly popular characters that Xbox players can highlight in the console’s interface.

South of Midnight‘s launch date is palpably close, and Xbox will hope that the fantasy title maintains the momentum ahead of what looks like a stacked 2025 calendar. Having come off a solid 2024, in which the Microsoft subsidiary saw major success with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, it will understandably aim for similar results, with multiple highly anticipated games planned for release later this year.