Summary
Xboxis giving Insiders the chance to test out Support Virtual Agent, an AI-powered chatbot Microsoft hopes will offer quicker answers to gamers' questions. The feature will eventually roll out to all users, but for now, anyone hoping to try it out can join the Insider program on their PC orXboxconsole.
The Xbox Insiders program mimics Microsoft’s Windows Insider by making features still in development available to test and review for anyone who signs up. Usually, this meansXbox Insiders get early software updates, but the incoming Support Virtual Agent is notably bigger. It’s bringing the massively popular trend of AI chatbots to the world of gaming, at least on PC and Xbox.
Xbox announced Support Virtual Agent in aNovember 4 blog post, though the reveal wasn’t exactly a surprise. Rumors suggestedXbox was getting an AI chatbotas early as April, but now that the official news is out, there are more details on how exactly it works. Users can access the bot by going to the “Contact Us” page on the Xbox Support website, where Insiders will see the option to chat with the virtual agent next to the Disability Answer Desk. After clicking it, the chatbot will open in a new window where users can ask questions either by text or voice.
Support Virtual Agent Offers Quicker Answers to Common Problems
Support Virtual Agent pulls information from Xbox’s support website, so it may not offer any new tips, but it eliminates time users may otherwise spend looking for the right page. If the bot encounters anything it can’t answer, it can connect gamers to a human agent who may be able to help. Users can also choose between two animated assistants, which are hopefully less creepy than theMicrosoft patent for AI imitating dead people. Whether Insiders find the virtual agent helpful or not, they can give feedback using a link at the bottom of the chat window.
Not every Xbox Insider gets a chance to use Support Virtual Agent just yet. For now, the feature is limited to users in the U.S. with their preferred language set to English. Whether Insiders outside the U.S. get to use the chatbot before it becomes available to everyone is unclear for now. The same goes for the AI’s full capabilities, as earlier rumors said it would be able to process refunds, but the official release doesn’t mention this feature. For now, fans will have to wait and see how it develops, and it could be a nice change of pace now thatWindows has ditched Cortana.
Xbox Series X
Microsoft’s ninth-generation console, the Xbox Series X is a powerful machine that can support 4K resolution and 60 fps, depending on the game. Released alongside the Xbox Series S, the Series X has a Custom AMD Zen 2 CPU, a Custom RDNA 2 GPU, and 16 GB of RAM.
