Earlier this year, Microsoft ramped up its efforts to make Edge the browser of choice for gamers by giving it a Steam-like overlay that can allow players to easily access tips and tactics. Now, Microsoft wants to take things even further with Copilot for Gaming, a new in-game AI assistant that is still in development. And it’s coming soon to the Xbox mobile app.
Xbox’s vice president of gaming AI, Fatima Kardar, unveiled Copilot for Gaming in the latest episode of The Official Xbox Podcast. Microsoft’s stated goal is to give players a hand getting past some of the more difficult parts in games and coaching them when needed. Kardar also showed off how this could work in Overwatch 2 and Minecraft. However, Microsoft has clarified that these samples are “product concepts,” rather than an example of a fully realized AI project.
In Overwatch 2, Copilot told the player how they died, and how they can counter that tactic by choosing another character and resetting their strategy. For Minecraft, Copilot walked the player through some of the basics of crafting to get them started in the game. According to Kardar, the idea behind this is that Copilot shouldn’t be omnipresent in the games. Instead, it should simply be there when players need it.
“It’s not just about AI showing up to help you,” explained Kardar. “It’s about AI showing up at the right moment. So I think we have to really think of the experience that we build. It can’t be intrusive, right? It cannot show up in the middle of the game. It’s a little bit of an art, and it is a little bit of ‘let’s have people try it.’ Gaming is the only form of entertainment where you can get stuck, so… that’s where you want something to show up and say, ‘actually, this is what [this] looks like. Let’s get you past that.'”
Copilot for Gaming will initially be available to Xbox Insiders via the Xbox mobile app sometime in the near future, although Microsoft didn’t set a date for its debut. However, Microsoft did announce that there are now over 1,000 titles for Xbox Play Anywhere Games.