Xbox is about to get a fresh injection of AI, as Microsoft announced a new “AI-driven sidekick” called Copilot for Gaming this week. Like its desktop counterpart, Copilot for Gaming is here to assist with a range of activities, from downloading and installing games on your Xbox to finding new games for you to play to helping you complete a level in a game.
Many of the examples the team shared on the Xbox Podcast (which you can watch below) are just concepts for now, but they help demonstrate the feature’s potential. For instance, if you are getting back into Age of Empires 4 after having moved on to another game, Copilot for Gaming can help you through every step of the process. It can reinstall the game on your Xbox, write a recap of where you left off, and even tell you what to do next.
In their appearance on the podcast, Xbox executives Fatima Kardar and Jason Ronald revealed that one of the points of emphasis for the AI is to keep it from being intrusive. Copilot for Gaming is there when you need it, but it’s not going to pop up every 15 minutes to check in like Clippy on Microsoft Office. You can ignore it altogether if you prefer.
“It’s not just about AI showing up to help you, it’s about AI showing up at the right moment,” said Kardar. “We really have to think about the experience we’ve built, it cannot be intrusive.”
Another concept shown off during the podcast involved Overwatch 2. A player realizes that one of his favorite heroes has been picked by a teammate, so he asks Copilot which hero he should choose instead. The AI suggests a hero that the player has had success with on the map before, drawing on its knowledge of the player’s time with the game. After dying, the player asks Copilot what they did wrong and receives some quick tips before respawning.
Initially, Copilot for Gaming will be available in the Xbox app on mobile for Xbox Insiders.
