- Microsoft has announced a number of new features coming to Windows 11
- This includes some useful skills for players, led by Gaming Copilot.
- However, the AI gaming assistant is still in beta and feels a bit unstable so far.
Windows 11 is getting a ton of new things, and that includes some goodies for PC gamers.
Microsoft laid out these various changes that are now rolling out to Windows 11 in an extensive blog post.
The aforementioned features for gamers start with Gaming Copilot, which arrived in the Game Bar for Windows 11, although it’s still in beta at the moment (after testing by Windows Insiders, which began in August).
This is designed to be an in-game aid that you can consult using voice mode, so you don’t have to get distracted by typing a question while playing your latest favorite game.
Gaming Copilot will also provide recommendations for titles you might want to play (speaking of which, check out our picks for the best PC games right now) and answer questions about your gaming history and past achievements.
Microsoft has also incorporated a Network Quality Indicator (NQI) tool for its cloud gaming service, which aims to “help you monitor and troubleshoot common cloud gaming issues, such as audio and video interruptions.”
You can activate it in a session through the game bar, where it is an Xbox Cloud Gaming widget (in their settings, you will see the “Enable network quality indicator” option). If you’re having a slow experience, this will hopefully help you see what the problem is (high ping or packet loss, for example, maybe both), so you know there’s a problem with your Internet connection, rather than just suspecting it.
The Xbox app for PC will also address unsynced save games across different devices in an improved way, as Microsoft explains: “When there’s a save that hasn’t been synced from a previous session, on the next device you play on you’ll see a progress bar, the device name, timestamp, and more details to help you understand what’s going on.”
Controller navigation in the Game Bar has been modified to be more fluid and also have “more intuitive movements.”
Other changes now rolling out to Windows 11 include support for Wi-Fi 7, the latest wireless standard, and a Braille display for Narrator, Microsoft’s screen reading tool. This can be connected to a Braille display to display the Braille equivalent of the text being read.
There are also new AI actions in File Explorer (shortcuts for AI-powered features like Windows 11’s Paint and Photos apps), and the widget panel now has the discovery feed curated by Copilot (so the AI chooses what you can see here). You will now also receive suggested widgets for your lock screen.
Analysis: Is Gaming Copilot really ready for the mainstream?
In case you missed it, Microsoft is currently making big strides in voice and AI in Windows 11, so it’s no surprise to see Gaming Copilot starting to emerge with the release version of the operating system. As an AI-powered feature with voice input cutouts, it’s part of this overall push Microsoft is making to “make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC,” as revealed yesterday.
However, Gaming Copilot is still officially in beta, even though it’s rolling out to the final version of Windows 11. So while in theory it has some nifty powers—for example, recognizing a boss you’re fighting on screen and being able to give advice for that encounter—right now, you should temper your expectations.
It can be buggy and do things wrong, and by all accounts it’s pretty slow in this initial incarnation (based on the TechRadar team’s experience so far). And one of the big concerns with Gaming Copilot on laptop PCs is that it will hinder performance – these laptops don’t have much to spare in the way of resources (and there are also concerns about the effects of running additional processes on battery life).
To be fair, though, I think the idea of Gaming Copilot has a lot of potential and could eventually be a big plus point for Windows 11 gamers. Although, as I’ve said in the past, there could be arguments about having effective help so easily for lazy gamers (who give up at the first sign of a roadblock and run to Copilot for advice because it’s so easy to do so).
The other gaming-related changes for Windows 11 should be helpful, although having cloud gaming network-related issues confirmed is one thing, being able to do something about them is another entirely. Still, it’s better to have this knowledge about your Xbox Cloud Gaming sessions than not to have it.