Xbox Series X Users Surprised With New Freebie

01/27/2023 07:06 pm EST

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S users have been surprised with a new freebie to celebrate the release of Dead Space. One of the small, but important features the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S currently have that the PS5 does not have is customizable backgrounds. Well, customizable to an extent. The PS5 background can't be changed at all, unlike the PS4, which had incredible customization options. The background customization options on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S don't allow for the same freedom as the PS4, but they do allow Xbox users to choose from a range of different static and dynamic backgrounds. There isn't a plethora of options, but there are options, including some game-specific options. To this end, a new Dead Space dynamic background is now available, and like the other backgrounds, it's free to download and use.

Why has the dynamic background been released today? Well, presumably to celebrate the release of the new remake, which was released today as well. The game's release itself wasn't a surprise release, but Xbox users had no clue they would be getting a free dynamic background for the game. As alluded to, there aren't many game-specific Xbox backgrounds, and what's previously been released are all for Xbox Game Studios' games. 

As for the design itself, it's pretty minimalistic and sleek. However, it's let down by the cluttered Xbox home screen, which covers up most of the image. Most of what's visible is just a black screen. 

Perhaps more notable than the background itself is the seeming confirmation that third-party developers can release their own Xbox backgrounds. Whether this is a new development or has always been the case, we don't know. If it's the latter, that's not good, as we are currently at a one-every-three-years rate, which would mean we wouldn't be getting another one until 2026, assuming the odds play out this way again.

For more coverage on all things Xbox -- including not just all of the news, but all of the latest rumors, leaks, speculation, reviews, previews, interviews, hot-takes, and deals -- click here.

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.