Earlier this year, Microsoft ushered in the era of artificial intelligence for Xbox by introducing a new model, Muse, that can generate gameplay. While it seemed that Muse was still an early research project for Microsoft, the Xbox manufacturer is now allowing Copilot users to try out Muse in an AI-generated version of Quake II.
The technology demonstration is part of Microsoft’s “Copilot for Gaming” campaign and is an AI-generated replica of Quake II that can be played in a browser. The Quake II level is very simple and includes blurry enemies and interactions, and Microsoft is limiting the time you can play this demo.
While Microsoft initially demonstrated its Muse AI model at 10 frames per second and 300 x 180 resolution, this latest demo runs at playable frame rates and a slightly higher 640 x 360 resolution. However, it’s still a very limited experience, and it’s more of a hint at what might be possible in the future.
Microsoft is still positioning Muse as an artificial intelligence model that can help game developers prototype games. During the presentation of Muse in February, Microsoft also mentioned that it was exploring how this AI model could help improve classic games such as Quake II and bring them to modern hardware.
“You can imagine a world where, based on gameplay and video data, a model can learn old games and really make them portable to any platform where those models can run,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in February. “We’ve talked about preserving games as our business, and these models and their ability to fully learn how a game is played without having to run the original engine on the original hardware opens up a lot of possibilities.”
It’s clear that Microsoft isn’t just training Muse on Bleeding Edge right now, and we’ll likely see more short interactive AI games in the Copilot Labs soon. Microsoft is also working to turn Copilot into a gaming coach, allowing the AI assistant to see what you’re playing and help you with tips and tricks. Part of this experience will soon be available to Windows insiders through Copilot Vision.
