Original Xbox and Xbox 360: Microsoft Accidentally Leaks 3 Classic Startup Animations Coming to Xbox Series X|S
Just hours before the 25th anniversary of the original Xbox, which first launched in North America on November 15, 2001, Microsoft accidentally spoiled one of its best nostalgic surprises in official system update patch notes: three iconic startup animations from the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 era are arriving on modern Xbox consoles.
The announcement was clearly meant to stay under wraps until the official November 15 milestone. While updating the system software documentation on the official Xbox Support portal, Microsoft prematurely published a bullet point detailing the arrival of three legacy boot sequences designed to "celebrate 25 years of Xbox history."
Spotted first by Reddit user u/GunpukuSayori on the r/xbox community and quickly archived with screenshots by @DMurAssPics, the entry was scrubbed from the support page shortly afterward. Microsoft replaced the specific mention with a generic line referencing "miscellaneous improvements," inadvertently confirming that the feature is already baked into the latest console build awaiting a server-side switch.
From the 2001 Green "Flubber" to Both Eras of the Xbox 360
According to the leaked patch note text, this update goes far beyond a static dynamic background. It brings full video and audio boot sequences from Microsoft's first two console generations directly to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles:
- Original Xbox (2001): The legendary "Flubber" boot sequence where glowing green plasma churns inside a mechanical reactor chamber before bursting into the classic chrome X shield.
- Xbox 360 (2005): The beloved launch animation from the original Blades dashboard era, featuring the metallic white sphere carved by a glowing green light ring alongside its unmistakable chime.
- Xbox 360 (2010): The refreshed startup sequence introduced alongside the Xbox 360 S hardware redesign and Kinect, showcasing fluid green ribbons wrapping around the sphere against a bright backdrop.
How to Change Your Startup Animation on Xbox Series X|S
Thanks to a recent dashboard customization update, modern Xbox consoles already include a dedicated menu allowing players to swap the video sequence played during a full console boot. Until now, that selector only offered animations from the Xbox One family (including the Xbox One X Project Scorpio chip sequence) and the default Xbox Series X|S intro.
Once Microsoft flips the server switch for the 25th anniversary celebration, all three retro animations will populate that exact same menu. Players simply need to navigate to Settings > General > Power options > Startup animation (or Settings > System > Startup depending on their dashboard build), pick their favorite generation, and make sure startup sounds are enabled to hear the classic audio cues on every cold boot.
| Startup Animation | Original Year | Visual and Audio Signature | Xbox Series X|S Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Xbox | 2001 | Green "Flubber" plasma reactor and chrome X shield | New for 25th Anniversary |
| Xbox 360 (Classic) | 2005 | Metallic sphere, green ring sweep, and original chime | New for 25th Anniversary |
| Xbox 360 (Kinect / Slim) | 2010 | Fluid green ribbons sculpting the Xbox 360 sphere | New for 25th Anniversary |
| Xbox One | 2013 | Signature green screen and three-note synth chime | Already available |
| Xbox One X | 2017 | 4K microscopic flythrough of the Project Scorpio chip | Already available |
| Xbox Series X|S | 2020 | Deep ambient bass swell and glowing Nexus emblem | Default |
A Full Week of Nostalgia for Xbox's Quarter-Century Milestone
Bringing back these three boot sequences caps off a packed week of legacy features rolled out by Microsoft ahead of November 15. The update aligns directly with Asha Sharma's 25th anniversary roadmap for Xbox, which has focused heavily on rewarding longtime console fans.
Earlier this week, Microsoft surprised preservation fans by making 25 original Xbox classics playable on PC alongside newly unlocked backward-compatible Achievements in fan favorites like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Black. Subscribers can jump into a wide selection of these legacy hits right through Microsoft's flagship subscription tier.
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My Field Notes
The bubbling mechanical hum of the 2001 green "Flubber" blob and the crisp 2005 Xbox 360 chime belong right in the hall of fame of console boot screens alongside the original PlayStation and the GameCube. Being able to power on a Series X at night and hear that 2005 Xbox 360 swoosh without any homebrew workarounds is the kind of pure, controller-in-hand fan service that hits the mark immediately. Better yet, building these options directly into the system settings menu means players actually get to keep them, rather than watching them vanish after a temporary promotional window like Sony initially did with its 30th anniversary PlayStation themes.
Based on the outskirts of New York City, Chaya 'Chayane' spent five years studying software engineering in Montreal before returning to her home state. A Full-Stack developer and Deep Learning AI architecture researcher, she explores neural networks and algorithmic optimization while engineering data pipelines for Retrocharting and Gamescharting alongside Grimtag. A gamer for over 20 years and an avid collector of Nintendo history and The Legend of Zelda, she explored World of Warcraft's Azeroth before bringing her deep technical background to video game analysis.
