After Microsoft admitted that it had introduced too much AI in Windows 11 In early 2026, I knew it was only a matter of time before the company’s Xbox division announced something similar.
In fact, about six weeks after Microsoft first said it would bring Copilot for Gaming to consoles, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced that he was effectively dead. The Xbox realignment was in full effect.
As part of this change, you’ll see us begin to retire features that don’t align with where we’re going. We will begin to shut down Copilot on mobile devices and stop development of Copilot on consoles.
Asha Sharma, CEO of Xbox
I’m not a big console gamer, but I have experience with Copilot for games on my Windows 11 gaming PC. I tested both Microsoft’s game assistant and NVIDIA G-Assist Project to see how they compare.
Frequent mistakes, gaps in knowledge, and outright hallucinations completely ruined the experience. It might have something to do with real people writing fewer game guides in the era of AI search summaries.
What do Windows Central readers think about AI in games?
Copilot for PC gaming has also undergone a change, becoming a confusing mix of “game assist,” “Microsoft Edge Game Assist”, or both; I can’t understand the reasoning.
I plan to visit again Microsoft’s gaming AI on PC in the near future to see how (if at all) it has improved since my last test, but in the meantime, I was more interested in what our readers think about AI in games.
I wasn’t just interested in Xbox and mobile implementations of AI; I asked about opinions on literally any form of AI assistance in gameswhether integrated assistants consulted with voice or text, AI Monitors Scratching the Surface of Trapsor the development side of the games.
I started some relevant discussions in our Windows Center forum and subreddit. These are ongoing, so stop by and continue the discussion.
It turns out that most of the responses were positive and readers offered some great ideas on how AI could be useful in games.
Use AI to return to a game after a time out
One popular feature I saw mentioned involves a “summary function” that will effectively return you to where you were in a game the last time you played.
I don’t know how many times I’ve sat down after a few months to finally finish a game, only to discover that I had forgotten where I was, what I was doing, and why I should do it.
Instead of restarting the game, I could certainly get used to the idea of the AI reminding me of my situation.
Use AI to expand game worlds and the characters in them
This is a feature I’ve been interested in for some time and I know I’m not the only one. Modders are already using AI to create “living” characters in games and, in some cases, like inZOI, entire retail games.
Let me say clearly that AI should never replace real voice actors and writers. But you know all those NPCs that just walk around and say the same thing over and over? Why not breathe some life into AI?
Another commenter suggests using AI in games to manage in-game companions. Would Starfield feel better if his companions aboard his ship actually knew what was going on around him and could react accordingly in real time?
reddit User u/unfnknblvbl states that he would love to see an RPG with “basically infinite side quests generated by an LLM.” That could definitely work, as long as you’re done with the main story and the handcrafted side quests created by real people.
Another comment from u/ms-fanto suggests something similar regarding NPCs and tags the comment with the suggestion that AI could help speed up game development or with translations into different languages.
Using AI in games as an accessibility feature
Using AI to help more players get the most out of their favorite titles is, in my opinion, the best possible use.
Windows Central Forum Member bbsoludi suggested this exact manualstating that “AI definitely has a place in gaming, but mostly in “quality of life” areas rather than replacing actual gameplay.“
I don’t see what’s wrong with AI taking charge accessibility loopholes and help players learn the mechanics of a game, especially in single-player titles.
The post concludes with a warning about competitive bbsoludi play:
But once it starts playing for you, targeting you, tracking enemies, autocalling strategies, etc., it starts to feel less like a help and more like a gentle trap, honestly.
I can’t say exactly how the balance is achieved. I’ve seen firsthand how AI gaming monitors can seriously disrupt competitive gaming and I really hope it’s not a trend that continues too far.
Not everyone loves the idea of AI in games
Among the more constructive feedback I received, it is understandable that there are some players who prefer to forget about the AI completely. One commenter even went so far as to say that he expects the gaming ecosystem to “fall apart” if AI becomes the norm.
I think part of this negativity is due to a lack of understanding of the concept. As one commentator asks: “What the hell would an AI do for games?” Another user asked: “What was Copilot going to do on Xbox?“
But those with a deeper understanding of AI gaming are also hesitant. It seems that most of our readers agree that there is a fine line between helping AI and controlling it.
Unfortunately, it seems that line is often crossed. AI in general has been all-encompassing for a couple of years now, and the fatigue created by layoffs, overhauled systems, and widespread overload is real. I don’t blame the players for being cautious.
Whether we like it or not, AI in games is not going anywhere
As I said in the past when covering NVIDIA AI Implementation for Modern Graphics RenderingAI in games is not going anywhere.
Xbox may have rebranded Copilot on consoles and mobile, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it return under a different name at some point in the future. Oh yeah, and it’s still available on Windows 11 PC.
Meanwhile, the world’s two largest GPU manufacturers are constantly improving their AI features. Remember the Outcry when NVIDIA showed off DLSS 5 and how it completely changes the look of a game? Expected to arrive later this year, it will change gaming forever.
Now that I have a better idea of how our readers feel about AI in games, I ask them a few different questions: Where do you draw the line? What is “too much” AI in games? Would it make you boycott a certain product or game? Do you think the line has already been crossed?
Let me know in the comments section below!
Join us at Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your ideas and discuss our latest news, reviews and more.
