Xbox continues its brand refresh with a slick new boot-up animation that leans into nostalgia and the return of "Team Green"

It seems that since coming into power at Xbox, Asha Sharma is doing what she can to usher in a new era and a fresh start for the brand. Part of that has meant moving away from the boring minimalist designs we’d come to expect over the years.

After taking on her new role a little over two months ago, we’ve already seen a new Xbox logo, one that really brings back that "Team Green" vibe many fans still associate with the brand. It’s a change that both I and plenty of longtime Xbox fans have appreciated.

Now, in a new post on X (formerly Twitter), Sharma has revealed that Xbox consoles are getting another fresh coat of paint with a brand new boot-up animation.

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In Xbox’s defense, though, plenty of other companies have gone down the same route with their branding and logos. Just look at PlayStation. Much of the flair and personality the brand used to have back in the day has slowly faded away.

The same thing happened with Xbox. The green never fully disappeared, but the brand shifted toward a flatter, more minimal design language that didn’t really capture that Xbox feeling people grew to love during the original Xbox and Xbox 360 era.

It’s certainly a pretty slick new booy-up animation. I would like to see a light mode version too, if possible. My colleague Alexander Cope also mentioned that it sounded like the old Windows 98 boot-up sound, offering an extra layer of nostalgia.

What do you think of all the moves Asha Sharma is making at Xbox? She has already introduced new leadership, bringing in people from CoreAI, and to help dispel AI concerns, Xbox has also canned plans for Copilot on console while winding down Copilot in the Xbox mobile app.

It certainly seems like things are changing over at Xbox. I've even noticed that the company’s online presence feels more pronounced and overall more positive.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll below:

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