Xbox insiders can now test out the new AI feature

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Key things

  • Xbox insiders can test the virtual AI chatbot support agent for faster answers to questions.
  • Available on the Xbox Support website, the chatbot offers users a choice of two animated assistants.
  • For now, it's limited to US users and can connect players to human agents when it can't provide answers.



Xbox is giving Insiders a chance to try out the Support Virtual Agent, an AI-powered chatbot Microsoft hopes will offer faster responses to players' 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 or Xbox console.

The Xbox Insiders program mimics Microsoft's Windows Insider by making features that are still in development available for testing and review to anyone who signs up. This usually means that Xbox Insiders get timely software updates, but the incoming Support Virtual Agent is significantly larger. It brings the massively popular trend of AI chatbots to the world of gaming, at least on PC and Xbox.


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Xbox announced the Support Virtual Agent in a blog post on November 4, though the reveal wasn't exactly a surprise. Rumors suggested that Xbox would be getting an AI chatbot back in April, but now that the official news is out, there are more details on exactly how it works. Users can access the bot by going to the “Contact Us” page on the Xbox Support site, where insiders will see the option to chat with a virtual agent next to the disability response desk. After clicking on it, the chatbot will open in a new window where users can ask questions either by text or voice.


Support Virtual Agent offers faster responses to common problems

Virtual Agent Support pulls information from the Xbox Support site, so it may not offer any new tips, but it eliminates the time users would otherwise spend searching for the right page. If the bot encounters something it can't answer, it can connect the player to a human agent who may be able to help. Users can also choose between two animated assistants that are perhaps less creepy than Microsoft's patent on artificial intelligence imitating dead people. Whether Insiders find the virtual agent useful or not, they can provide feedback using the link at the bottom of the chat window.


Not every Xbox Insider has the option to use a virtual support agent yet. This feature is currently limited to US users with their preferred language set to English. Whether Insiders outside the US can use the chatbot before it's available to everyone is unclear at this time. The same goes for full AI 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 now that Windows has ditched Cortana, it could be a nice change of pace.

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