Microsoft’s AI-powered Gaming Copilot assistant is coming to current-generation Xbox consoles later this year, the company announced at the Game Developers Conference.
The announcement was made at a GDC talk featuring Xbox’s gaming AI partner group product manager Sonali Yadav and gaming AI general manager Haiyan Zhang. Gaming Copilot is already available in a beta form for the Xbox PC and mobile apps, as well as ROG Xbox Ally devices. Per GamesRadar, Yadav stated that Microsoft will “continue to bring it to more services that players are playing.”
Players can ask the Gaming Copilot chatbot for advice and guidance via text or voice about the game they’re currently playing, or ask for game recommendations from the store or Game Pass. The AI assistant reads and connects to Xbox profiles, so players can also ask specific questions about their play history, achievements, or subscriptions.
Microsoft shared this proof-of-concept image last year when announcing Gaming Copilot.
Per Kotaku, Yadav and Zhang acknowledged that the content from Gaming Copilot is sourced from information curated and provided by creators online, adding that Microsoft is “exploring” ways to license gaming-related content that the AI assistant scrapes. Yadav didn’t offer any specifics on what this would entail, but she stated: “The role of AI is to amplify content creators, not replace them.”
Another AI application that Microsoft has pushed is the generation of highlight reels, a feature that Xbox Insiders can now try on the ROG Xbox Ally when playing a limited selection of titles. The feature lets Gaming Copilot capture gameplay footage automatically and create highlight montages at the end of gaming sessions.
During GDC, Microsoft also provided details about its next-generation console, codenamed Project Helix, to game developers. With Microsoft heavily pushing AI functionality in its services and devices, it would not be surprising if the next Xbox console incorporated some or all of the aforementioned features from the get-go.
