- It has been claimed that Windows 11’s Gaming Copilot AI could be capturing gameplay and sending it back to Microsoft.
- Gaming Copilot is a beta AI feature in the Game Bar
- There is confusion about whether this privacy concern is valid or not, but it is clear that Gaming Copilot can (slightly) affect frame rates in games.
While Microsoft is continually striving to improve gaming on Windows 11, most recently with a new ‘full screen experience’ mode for handheld devices and also an AI gaming assistant, the latter is currently embroiled in some controversy.
As Wccftech discovered, according to a poster on the ResetEra forum, Windows 11’s Gaming Copilot may be actively monitoring and capturing gameplay and sending it to Microsoft for (AI) “model training” by default. The poster shares a screenshot of the ‘training models on text’ option enabled by default, raising privacy concerns therein.
However, there seems to be some disagreement over whether this is a valid accusation directed at Microsoft or not, to the point that the administrators have closed the forum thread.
For now, then, we should take this claim with a grain of salt and assume that training data is only sent back to Microsoft if you’re actually using Gaming Copilot (with the relevant options enabled). Or that maybe it’s some kind of bug (remember, Gaming Copilot is still in beta).
As another ResetEra resident pointed out, Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot FAQ clearly states that “screenshots are not stored or used for model training” and that screenshots are only taken when you are actually using Copilot in the Windows 11 Game Bar.
All of this has raised privacy fears for some players, as noted, and hopefully Microsoft can overcome the confusion and clarify this. I have contacted the company for this purpose and will update this story if I hear back.
Privacy controversy aside, what’s pretty clear about Gaming Copilot is the impact it has on performance. I tried the Dead as a disco demo on Steam and I noticed that Gaming Copilot is reducing the frame rate, although the AI feature does not have a major impact.
With the Gaming Copilot model’s training settings enabled in the game’s ‘Infinite Disco’ mode, the frame rate often dipped into the low 70s, although it mostly stayed within the 80 to 85 fps range.
With the Gaming Copilot model’s training settings disabled, the game stayed within a range of 84 to 89 fps, while occasionally hitting 90 fps or higher, without dropping into the high 70s range.
Microsoft’s Edge browser is also required to view and export captured data (via ‘Game Assist’), and having it running in the background won’t help gaming frame rates.
Now, while this doesn’t seem like a significant framerate loss, when you compare it to the rest of the Windows 11 bloatware that limits performance levels (even with the new laptop mode), it all adds up. Speaking of portable devices, Gaming Copilot will likely have a worse impact on lower-end systems like these gaming laptops, where every frame counts due to weaker hardware specs.
Analysis: I have never wanted to abandon Windows 11 more than now…
I’ve now reached a point where I feel like Microsoft is trying to push gamers away from its operating system, even if it thinks additions like Gaming Copilot are useful.
I’m willing to bet that a decent portion of gamers don’t need an AI assistant for in-game help, and don’t want anything that will slow down performance (or cause potential privacy concerns for some people, even if we don’t yet know how valid those concerns are).
To me, it’s a shame that apparently nothing is done to bring Linux support to games with anti-cheat tools like Battlefield 6 and Obligationsbecause as tempted as I am to switch to SteamOS on my main desktop PC, I’d be missing out on great gaming experiences. (And no, I don’t mean Obligationsbut I’m sure you understand my point).
I guess my only option right now is to endure the problems I’m having with Windows 11 for gaming and pray that things start to change for Linux regarding anti-cheat tools.
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