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This official Microsoft mock-up demonstrates how Copilot can be used for processes like picking up an old run through a game. (Microsoft Image)
In advance of this year’s Game Developers Conference, Microsoft revealed a new version of its AI-powered personal assistant Copilot that’s designed for the Xbox platform.
The new program, called Copilot for Gaming, is designed as a personal assistant for anyone playing video games on the Xbox platform. It can keep track of where you were in a game and provide a quick recap of where you were when you left off; provide information on related topics, such as the real-world history behind an Age of Empires map; provide tips or advice on gameplay; or keep a player advised on downloads or what their friends are doing.
Copilot for Gaming made its public debut Thursday on an episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, featuring Microsoft VPs Fatima Kardar and Jason Ronald. The day before, Microsoft hosted a media roundtable with Microsoft general manager of AI Gaming Innovation Haiyan Zhang and group product manager Sonali Yudav.
Zhang presented an example of Copilot for Gaming in use, where it provided an Overwatch 2 player with coaching, such as what character to use and why he died suddenly during gameplay.
Copilot was also shown giving a first-time Minecraft player step-by-step instructions on how to get started with the game, such as what materials to gather first and what to build with them.
According to Microsoft, Copilot for Gaming’s advice is derived from similar sources to other versions of Copilot.
“Copilot for Gaming accesses public sources of information from the web using the Bing search index and results,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GeekWire, “and provides tailored responses for the individual player based on its understanding of the players activity and the games they’re playing on the Xbox platform.”
The spokesperson continued, “Our goal is to have Copilot for Gaming source the most accurate game knowledge — so we are working with game studios to make sure the information Copilot surfaces reflects their vision, and Copilot will refer players back to the original source of the information.”
A preview of Copilot for Windows is currently scheduled to become available on mobile devices in April, and will initially be limited to members of the Xbox Insider program. Users of the preview version will be able to decide how and when they want to interact with the Xbox’s Copilot, including whether or not it has access to their conversation histories on Xbox.
