Microsoft Introduces AI-Powered Xbox Support Virtual Agent for Insiders

Here comes the Xbox AI

Microsoft's first big Xbox AI feature is here, and it's... a chatbot. The animated virtual assistant will handle online support queries, but sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell me it's part of a larger effort inside the company to cautiously bring AI features to Xbox. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has refocused the entire company on AI, but Xbox has been the clear exception when it comes to visible AI features. While the software giant has been using AI models to help moderate its Xbox platform for years, we haven't seen Microsoft rush to integrate Copilot into the Xbox dashboard like it has with Windows and Office. I understand the hesitancy. The team is acutely aware of the negative perception of AI features from gamers and creatives, and Microsoft wants to get this right.

Microsoft's AI comes to your console: here's how you can take advantage of it on your Xbox - Softonic

Microsoft wants its main console to have an AI chatbot with the goal of increasing the number of users Microsoft has been testing a new AI-based Xbox chatbot, and now Xbox insiders can try it for the first time. This is the natural step for a company that is betting everything on AI. Earlier this year we talked about the existence of this new "Xbox Support Virtual Agent," and now Microsoft says it is designed "to help Xbox players more efficiently resolve their game-related support issues." In other words, it aims to be a technical assistant. Xbox insiders in the U.S. can start testing this new Xbox AI chatbot on the website support.xbox.com, and it will answer questions about Xbox console and game support issues. "We value the opinion of registered Xbox users about this early experience and any feedback we receive will be used to improve the Virtual Support Agent," says Megha Dudani, Xbox Product Director, in the press release. This Xbox chatbot will appear as an AI character that animates when responding (like our beloved Clippy), or as a colorful Xbox orb. The reality is that it is part of a broader effort by Microsoft to apply AI to its Xbox platform and services, before some AI-based features soon arrive on Xbox consoles. Unlike other parts of Microsoft, Xbox has been cautious in focusing on AI features, despite CEO Satya Nadella's clear mandate to center all Microsoft businesses around AI. Microsoft has largely focused on the developer side of AI tools so far, but that is clearly changing with the introduction of an assistance and support chatbot. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it was working to bring AI features to game content creation, game operations, and its Xbox platform and devices. This includes experimenting with AI-generated art and assets for games, AI game testing, and generative AI NPCs that Microsoft.

You can now try out Microsoft's new AI-powered Xbox chatbot

Microsoft has been testing a new AI-powered Xbox chatbot, and now Xbox Insiders can try it out for the first time. I exclusively revealed the existence of this new "Xbox Support Virtual Agent" earlier this year, and Microsoft now says it's designed "to help Xbox players more efficiently solve their support-related gaming issues." Xbox Insiders in the US can start trying out this new Xbox AI chatbot at support.xbox.com, and it will answer questions around Xbox console and game support issues. "We value the feedback from Xbox Insiders for this preview experience and any feedback received will be used to improve the Support Virtual Agent," says Megha Dudani, senior product manager lead at Xbox. This Xbox chatbot will appear as an AI character that animates when responding, or as a colorful Xbox orb. It's part of a larger effort inside Microsoft to apply AI to its Xbox platform and services, ahead of some AI-powered features coming to Xbox consoles soon. Unlike other parts of Microsoft, Xbox has been cautious in how it approaches AI features -- despite a clear mandate from CEO Satya Nadella to focus all of Microsoft's businesses around AI. Microsoft has largely focused on the developer side of AI tools so far, but that's clearly changing with the introduction of a support chatbot. I reported earlier this year that Microsoft is also working on bringing AI features to game content creation, game operations, and its Xbox platform and devices. This includes experimenting with AI-generated art and assets for games, AI game testing, and the generative AI NPCs that Microsoft has already partnered with Inworld to develop.

Xbox chatbot is open for insiders, try it now

Microsoft introduces the AI-powered Xbox Support Virtual Agent, an innovative chatbot for Xbox Insiders in the US, designed to enhance gaming support experiences. Discover how this chatbot could revolutionize Xbox support. Microsoft has launched an AI-powered chatbot named the Xbox Support Virtual Agent. This Xbox chatbot is designed to assist users with support-related issues, is now available for Xbox Insiders in the US. The introduction of this AI chatbot underscores Microsoft's commitment to enhancing user experiences by using AI across its platforms, aligning with CEO Satya Nadella's strategy to integrate AI throughout the company. The Xbox Support Virtual Agent is built to simplify the process of troubleshooting for Xbox users. Accessible via support.xbox.com, the chatbot can answer questions related to Xbox console and game support. According to Megha Dudani, senior product manager lead at Xbox, the AI agent is designed to "help Xbox players more efficiently solve their support-related gaming issues." Unlike traditional support processes, the Xbox chatbot offers a faster, more interactive way for players to find solutions. Users can type or speak their questions, and if the AI cannot provide a satisfactory answer, the option to chat with a live support agent is available during Xbox Support's operating hours. Currently, only members of the Xbox Insider Program can test the AI-powered Support Virtual Agent. Here's how to use it: The chatbot appears as either an animated AI character or a vibrant Xbox orb, bringing a visual element to the interaction. Microsoft places significant value on feedback from Xbox Insiders to enhance the Support Virtual Agent. "We value the feedback from Xbox Insiders for this preview experience, and any feedback received will be used to improve the Support Virtual Agent," said Megha Dudani. The insights from early users will help refine the chatbot before a wider rollout. Although Microsoft has not disclosed a specific timeline for a broader release, the ongoing trial marks a step toward integrating AI more deeply into the Xbox platform. As The Verge reported, this cautious shift from backend AI applications to direct user interaction signifies Microsoft's confidence in expanding AI's role in gaming. Earlier reports hinted at Microsoft's plans to integrate AI into areas like game content creation, game testing, and even generative AI NPCs through its partnership with Inworld. The rollout of Microsoft's AI chatbot comes at a time when competition in the gaming industry is heating up. Notably, Sony has recently introduced the PlayStation 5 Pro featuring AI upscaling capabilities, leveraging their PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology to deliver enhanced graphics. While Sony's focus is more on in-game visual enhancements, Microsoft's approach with the Xbox Support Virtual Agent aims to improve the overall user experience through better, faster support solutions.

You Can Now Chat With an AI Bot While Playing on Xbox

At present, the Xbox AI chatbot only supports English language Microsoft is testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for its Xbox platform. On Monday, the company announced the AI-powered Support Virtual Agent which is aimed at assisting players of the gaming console with support-related issues. The rumours about the chatbot first started emerging in April, and now the company has officially released the AI bot in preview mode. Currently, it is only accessible to Xbox Insiders residing in the US with English set as the preferred language. In a newsroom post, Microsoft detailed its AI chatbot dubbed Support Virtual Agent. It is a new feature available on the support website of Xbox. While the AI chatbot can have fluent natural language conversation, it is specialised to assist players with support-related issues. The AI chatbot has been rolled out to the US-based members of the Xbox Insider Programme who have signed up for the experimental updates. Microsoft said eligible users will begin seeing the chatbot on the "Contact us" page on the platform's support page after signing into their account. Xbox's AI chatbot accepts both text and voice as input and can answer with relevant information from the gaming platform's support pages. Users will also be able to choose between two different chatbots by clicking on the ellipsis menu icon. The company said if the Support Virtual Agent cannot solve an issue, users can request to speak with a live support agent during the company's normal hours of operation. The Verge reported that the chatbot can either appear as an AI character that animates when responding to a query or as a multi-coloured Xbox orb. It is unclear whether Xbox plans to add more chatbot options for users or increase its capability to also assist users with their accounts, game catalogues, game reviews, and more. Notably, the AI chatbot only supports the English language currently. The company has also asked for feedback from Xbox Insiders about the AI chatbot. Users can provide feedback directly within the chatbot interface by tapping the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" button on individual responses. Separately, they can also provide feedback by typing their opinion in the text field that appears after tapping the "Give feedback" button at the bottom of the page.