It seems that nothing is immune to being injected with AI – certainly not if Microsoft is involved. Now the company is bringing Gaming Copilot to the Game Bar.
Currently in beta testing, Gaming Copilot is now available in Game Bar for Windows PC for Xbox Insiders enrolled in the PC Gaming Preview. The arrival of Copilot in another Microsoft tool is far from being surprising, but just what does this mean for gamers?
Microsoft says that “Copilot is directly embedded into the PC gaming environment and understands a player’s Xbox activity to provide a customized experience” – and this can be viewed positively or negatively. The company cites various potential ways for gamers to use Gaming Copilot, but the headline feature is probably that “players can ask for help related to the game they’re playing”.
There will undoubtedly be a difference of opinion about whether or not this constitutes cheating, but Microsoft frames it in a different way:
Gaming is one of the only forms of entertainment where you can get stuck, and Gaming Copilot is designed to help get you past those obstacles so you can spend more time playing the games you love.
Gaming Copilot knows everything
Context is everything, and this is something that is being pushed by Microsoft as it says:
Gaming Copilot knows what you’re playing and understands your Xbox activity to provide an experience centered around you. [You can ask] for help related to the game you’re playing while you’re playing it, the games you’re interested in or want to discover, or questions about your account, play history, and achievements.
More than this there is an echo of the controversial Recall feature when using certain features of Gaming Copilot. The sharing of gameplay screenshots is less worrying than sharing screenshots of potentially sensitive work and personal information, but it is worth noting. Microsoft explains a couple of options:
- Improved Understanding and Responses from Copilot: When you ask Gaming Copilot in Game Bar a question in Voice Mode, it can now use screenshots of your gameplay to provide you with more helpful responses. Now that Gaming Copilot has a better understanding of what’s happening on your screen during active gameplay and through your screenshots, you can refer to things happening in-game as they occur in Voice Mode, without needing to describe them in detail, and get even more relevant and timely support. You can manage your screenshot settings anytime under “Capture Settings” directly in the Gaming Copilot widget.
- Use Voice Mode while actively playing: Pin the Gaming Copilot widget and use Copilot in Voice Mode while you’re actively playing any game on PC. This lets you talk to Copilot and get help if you’re stuck or need tips, without breaking away from gameplay. To do this, navigate to the Gaming Copilot widget, select the “Microphone” from the left navigation bar, begin a conversation, pin the widget, and continue the conversation seamlessly and at any time while you return to your gameplay.
As this is a beta test, Gaming Copilot is only available in some regions. Microsoft says that it is available in English for Xbox Insiders aged 18 and older in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and other regions – this includes Japan, Russia, New Zealand and Mexico.
Microsoft also provides the following instructions for getting started:
To use Game Bar, make sure you have the Xbox PC app downloaded and installed on your Windows device and press the Windows logo key + G to open Game Bar over your game, app, or desktop. Once you open Game Bar, look for the Gaming Copilot icon in the Home Bar to open the widget and log into your Xbox account and access the full experience.
