Xbox generative AI creates playable version of Quake 2

Microsoft has released a playable version of Quake II that was created entirely by its generative AI technology.

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A bit ago, Microsoft announced Muse generative AI, technology that could create gameplay on-the-fly. Now the tech has been updated and is able to push 10 FPS thanks to training data from an old-school PC classic: Quake II.

Anyone can play an AI-generated, very janky and fever dream-like version of Quake II via Copilot Labs right in their browser. Be forewarned: There's a time limit, and there's not a lot of consistency. Don't expect this to be like an emulator.

For Quake II, Microsoft didn't collect data from players. Instead, they used professional QA game testers to help train the AI.

Microsoft will continue iterating on its Muse AI technology over time, but developers still have a choice whether or not they want to use AI in their games.

A research demo at the intersection of gaming and AI. Welcome to an experimental, AI-powered gameplay experience hosted in Copilot Labs. Powered by the Muse World and Human Action Model (WHAM) built by Microsoft Research, this tech demo offers an early look at how generative AI can simulate interactive gameplay.

In this real-time tech demo, Copilot dynamically generates gameplay sequences inspired by the classic game Quake II. Every input you make triggers the next AI-generated moment in the game, almost as if you were playing the original Quake II running on a traditional game engine. Enjoy the experience, share your thoughts, and help shape the future of AI-powered gameplay experiences.

This was made possible by working with professional game testers to collect the data, and by focusing on a single level with intentional gameplay ensuring we collected enough high quality and diverse data.

What games are available in the initial experience in Copilot Labs?

The initial experience on Copilot Labs is powered by a Copilot Gaming Experiences model trained on gameplay from Quake II.