{"id":222113,"date":"2025-10-24T07:18:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T07:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/222113\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T07:18:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T07:18:15","slug":"pc-gamers-claim-windows-11s-gaming-copilot-is-capturing-gameplay-for-ai-training-by-default-but-what-its-actually-doing-is-spoiling-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/222113\/","title":{"rendered":"PC gamers claim Windows 11&#8217;s Gaming Copilot is capturing gameplay for AI training by default \u2013 but what it&#8217;s actually doing is spoiling performance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A claim has been made that Windows 11&#8217;s Gaming Copilot AI might be capturing gameplay and sending it back to MicrosoftGaming Copilot is a beta AI feature in the Game BarThere&#8217;s confusion about whether this privacy concern is valid or not, but it&#8217;s clear that Gaming Copilot can impact your frame rates (slightly) in games<\/p>\n<p id=\"9fb34586-6261-45d3-8d4d-3ff05f3e3603\">While <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/microsoft\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/microsoft\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Microsoft<\/a> is continuously making efforts to improve gaming on <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/windows-11\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/windows-11\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Windows 11<\/a>, most recently with a new &#8216;full-screen experience&#8217; mode for handhelds, and also an AI gaming assistant, the latter is currently mired in some controversy.<\/p>\n<p>As <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/wccftech.com\/microsoft-training-gaming-copilot-ai-watching-you-play-games-unless-you-turn-it-off\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/wccftech.com\/microsoft-training-gaming-copilot-ai-watching-you-play-games-unless-you-turn-it-off\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wccftech spotted<\/a>, according to a poster on the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resetera.com\/threads\/gaming-copilot-installing-automatically-on-windows-11-pcs-now-trains-microsofts-models-on-users-pc-gameplay.1332163\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.resetera.com\/threads\/gaming-copilot-installing-automatically-on-windows-11-pcs-now-trains-microsofts-models-on-users-pc-gameplay.1332163\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ResetEra<\/a> forum, Windows 11&#8217;s Gaming Copilot may be actively monitoring and capturing gameplay and sending this back to Microsoft for &#8216;model training&#8217; (of the AI) by default. The poster shares a screenshot of the &#8216;model training on text&#8217; option being enabled by default, raising concerns over privacy therein.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\" href=\"\" data-url=\"\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"9fb34586-6261-45d3-8d4d-3ff05f3e3603-2\">However, there seems to be some disagreement as to whether this is a valid accusation being levelled at Microsoft, or not &#8211; so much so that the admins have locked the thread on the forum.<\/p>\n<p>You may like<\/p>\n<p>For now, then, we have to take this assertion with a good deal of caution &#8211; and presume that any training data is only being sent back to Microsoft if you&#8217;re actually using Gaming Copilot (with the relevant options enabled). Or that this is some kind of an error perhaps (remember, Gaming Copilot is still in beta).<\/p>\n<p>As pointed out by another denizen of ResetEra, Microsoft&#8217;s FAQ for Gaming Copilot clearly states that &#8216;screenshots are not stored or used for model training&#8217; and that grabs are only taken when you&#8217;re actually using Copilot in Windows 11&#8217;s Game Bar.<\/p>\n<p>All this has raised privacy fears for some gamers, as noted, and hopefully Microsoft will be able to cut through the confusion and clear this up. I&#8217;ve contacted the company to this end, and will update this story if I hear anything back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KEHt3ytddwMespJAqBmj4d.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of Xbox Game Bar's Gaming Copilot\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KEHt3ytddwMespJAqBmj4d.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KEHt3ytddwMespJAqBmj4d.png\"\/>\n<\/p>\n<p>(Image credit: Future \/ Isaiah Williams)<\/p>\n<p id=\"493a5715-ebde-41ce-8b0e-448feb03b228\">Privacy controversy aside, what&#8217;s clear enough about Gaming Copilot is the impact it has on performance. I tested the Dead As Disco demo on Steam and noticed that Gaming Copilot is reducing frame rates, although the AI feature doesn&#8217;t have a major impact.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.<\/p>\n<p>With Gaming Copilot&#8217;s model training settings turned on in the game&#8217;s &#8216;Infinite Disco&#8217; mode, the frame rate often dipped into the 70s, although it mostly stayed within the 80 to 85 fps range.<\/p>\n<p>With Gaming Copilot&#8217;s model training settings switched off, the game kept within an 84 to 89 fps range, while reaching 90 fps or more occasionally, without any dips into the high 70s range.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft&#8217;s Edge browser is also required to view and export the data that is captured (via &#8216;Game Assist&#8217;), and having that in the background isn&#8217;t going to help gaming frame rates.<\/p>\n<p>You may like<\/p>\n<p>Now, while this doesn&#8217;t sound like a significant frame rate loss, when you stack this up with the rest of Windows 11&#8217;s <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/computing\/gaming-pcs\/microsofts-windows-11-is-a-detriment-to-handheld-gaming-pcs-and-a-recent-steamos-comparison-highlights-that\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/computing\/gaming-pcs\/microsofts-windows-11-is-a-detriment-to-handheld-gaming-pcs-and-a-recent-steamos-comparison-highlights-that\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">bloatware that&#8217;s limiting performance<\/a> levels (even with the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/gaming\/xbox\/microsofts-new-full-screen-experience-on-windows-11-is-no-match-for-steamos-and-rog-xbox-ally-x-performance-tests-highlight-that\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/gaming\/xbox\/microsofts-new-full-screen-experience-on-windows-11-is-no-match-for-steamos-and-rog-xbox-ally-x-performance-tests-highlight-that\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">new handheld mode<\/a>), it all adds up. Speaking of handhelds, Gaming Copilot will likely have a worse impact on lower-end systems like these gaming portables, where every frame counts due to weaker hardware specs.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-163faafc-8445-4e43-8e34-dbdaac4bd6df\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\" href=\"\" data-url=\"\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"\/>Analysis: I&#8217;ve never wanted to abandon Windows 11 more than I do now&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/FDXdnRjwpkqBmrNnzYQSdL.jpg\" alt=\"Logos of SteamOS and Windows 10\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/FDXdnRjwpkqBmrNnzYQSdL.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/FDXdnRjwpkqBmrNnzYQSdL.jpg\"\/>\n<\/p>\n<p>(Image credit: Valve \/ Microsoft)<\/p>\n<p id=\"a8875936-8b9c-4798-963c-d4bfd29bee10\">I&#8217;ve now gotten to a point where I feel as though Microsoft is trying to drive gamers away from its <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/operating-system\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/operating-system\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">operating system<\/a>, even if it believes additions like Gaming Copilot are helpful.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m willing to bet that a decent portion of gamers don&#8217;t need an AI assistant for game help, and don&#8217;t want anything that holds back performance (or causes any possible privacy worries for some folks, even if we don&#8217;t yet know how valid those concerns are).<\/p>\n<p>For me, it&#8217;s just such a shame that seemingly nothing will be done to provide Linux compatibility for games with anti-cheat tools like <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/gaming\/battlefield-6-review\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/gaming\/battlefield-6-review\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Battlefield 6<\/a> and <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/call-of-duty\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/uk\/tag\/call-of-duty\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Call of Duty<\/a>, because as tempted as I am to switch to SteamOS on my main desktop PC, I&#8217;d miss out on some great gaming experiences. (And no, I don&#8217;t mean <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/call-of-duty\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/tag\/call-of-duty\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Call of Duty<\/a>, but I&#8217;m sure you get my point).<\/p>\n<p>I guess my only option at this point is to endure the issues I have with Windows 11 for gaming, and pray that things start to change for Linux regarding anti-cheat tools.<\/p>\n<p id=\"f0e7c908-1e6d-47a6-9bab-f7ce00ead0b6\"><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&amp;gl=GB&amp;ceid=GB%3Aen\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&amp;gl=GB&amp;ceid=GB%3Aen\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Follow TechRadar on Google News<\/a> and <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=techradar.com\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=techradar.com\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">add us as a preferred source<\/a> to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!<\/p>\n<p>And of course you can also <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@techradar\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@techradar\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">follow TechRadar on TikTok<\/a> for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029Va6HybZ9RZAY7pIUK12h\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029Va6HybZ9RZAY7pIUK12h\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WhatsApp<\/a> too.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A claim has been made that Windows 11&#8217;s Gaming Copilot AI might be capturing gameplay and sending it&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":222114,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[554,733,4308,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-222113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}