Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot in Windows 11 sparks privacy and performance issues

Microsoft is trying to make gaming on Windows 11 more interactive with AI by integrating its new Gaming Copilot into the Windows 11 Game Bar. The feature, still in beta, has sparked privacy concerns and reports of gaming performance issues among users. According to reports, Gaming Copilot seems to capture screenshots and uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology to send data back to Microsoft’s servers to train their AI models.

A bigger concern is that this data collection happens by default, with the “Model training on text” option enabled without any clear warning or prompt for the user about the feature running in the background. This setting can, however, be disabled from Gaming Copilot’s Privacy settings to protect user data.

The privacy issue became more controversial when a Windows 11 user testing a game under a non-disclosure agreement noticed suspicious network activity showing information being uploaded to Microsoft servers, risking exposure of sensitive content. Many users are uncomfortable with their gameplay being recorded and shared for AI model training purposes.

Beyond privacy, Gaming Copilot also impacts game performance due to resource usage in the background. Testing by some gamers revealed frame rate drops during gameplay when the AI feature was active. One example showed average frame rates dropping from 84–89 fps to 80–85 fps. While this may seem a small performance hit for gaming PCs, it could present problems for Windows-based gaming handheld devices such as the ROG Xbox Ally.

While Microsoft promotes Gaming Copilot as a useful AI assistant for gamers, offering tips, strategies, and voice commands without distracting players, its data collection and resource demands pose real challenges. The company states that users have control over their data and can opt out anytime.

As the Gaming Copilot feature remains in beta, Microsoft needs to address these concerns about privacy and performance before the final rollout. Gamers should review privacy settings and carefully consider the impact on gaming performance before enabling this feature.