Summary
Xbox will wind down Copilot on mobile and stop Copilot development for console.
New leadership aims to move Xbox faster, deepen community ties, and fix player/dev friction.
Copilot scale-back echoes Windows changes as Xbox prepares to reveal and launch Project Helix.
If you’re an Xbox fan, this is definitely good news.
Following reports that Microsoft’s new Xbox head, Asha Sharma, has hired new Xbox leaders, the leader of all things Xbox at Microsoft released a brief statement on social media, revealing that, as far as Copilot and AI are concerned, the brand is changing directions and ditching Copilot
Below is Sharma’s full statement posted to X (formerly Twitter):
Xbox needs to move faster, deepen our connection with the community, and address friction for both players and developers. Today, we promoted leaders who helped build Xbox, while also bringing in new voices to help push us forward. This balance is important as we get the business back on track. As part of this shift, you’ll see us begin to retire features that don’t align with where we’re headed. We will begin winding down Copilot on mobile and will stop development of Copilot on console.
Microsoft seems to be backing up its promise to dial back Copilot integration
Sharma is making sweeping changes to Xbox
The key takeaway from the statement above is that Copilot is being removed from the Xbox mobile app and that, as far as the Xbox brand is concerned, development of AI integration features is ending. While Sharma doesn’t state it explicitly, it sounds like this also applies to the ROG Xbox Ally X. Back in March, Microsoft revealed that Copilot would soon be available on the Xbox Series X and S, showing off how players could use the AI to help them in games.
While this sounds like a somewhat novel feature, it likely wouldn’t have been integrated into the Xbox Dashboard and the ROG Xbox Ally X’s Xbox Mode in an intrusive way, so Microsoft’s Copilot gaming efforts ending is positive news, especially as the company gears up to reveal more about Project Helix, its PC-like next-gen console, and AI fatigue becomes more of a thing. Given that Sharma shifted to Xbox from being the president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product, this is an unexpected move by the recently appointed executive.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft confirmed plans to scale back Windows 11’s Copilot integration as part of a broader effort to improve its desktop operating system. The tech giant moved uncharacteristically quickly to put this plan into action, with minor Copilot features like icons in Windows 11’s snipping tool removed.
In other Xbox-related news, Microsoft recently launched a minor brand refresh that marks a return to the brand’s iconic green logo. Former Xbox leader Phil Spencer retired from the company in February.
Related
Microsoft confirms ‘Project Helix,’ its next-gen Xbox that can also play PC games
After months of rumors, it’s now clear the tech giant plans to blur the lines between console and PC.