Xbox CEO Asha Sharma forms Xbox Labs in response to AI-made mods and ports

[Gaz_23]

Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma has set up a new group called Xbox Labs. VGC reports that it is a response to a wave of AI made game mods, mash ups and ports. Examples include Mario style platforming inside Elden Ring and Call of Duty running in a web browser, which VGC says were built with Claude's Opus 5.5 model

In a note to staff, Sharma said games are being decompiled and rebuilt quickly to run on hardware they were never designed for. That includes Apple Silicon Macs and web browsers using WebAssembly and WebGPU, which she said is approaching 90 percent browser support. She described this as challenging the link between software and the hardware it was made for

Xbox chief technology officer Scott Van Vliet will lead a small team of game makers, engineers and scientists. The group will build in the open and share its tools with the wider industry. That is an interesting choice for a big platform holder, and it suggests Xbox wants to shape this trend rather than fight it

Sharma also pointed out that Xbox players spend more than 72 billion hours a year playing, about five times the time spent writing code worldwide. She said Xbox's existing priorities, including its hardware and its big franchises, are not changing

This feels like a smart and forward looking move. AI tools are changing what modders and hobbyists can do almost overnight. Having a team that experiments openly could help Xbox find new ideas, and new ways for players to enjoy its games, before anyone else does

What do you think Xbox Labs should build first? And are AI made ports good or bad for the games industry?

Asha Sharma Forms Xbox Labs In Response To Explosion Of Ai Powered Mods And Portswww.videogameschronicle.com