Asus ROG Ally update lets AI haters ditch ‘Gaming Copilot’

Microsoft’s Copilot “AI” system isn’t exactly a smash hit among its users. While the company has rebranded at least some of the features as enhancements for gaming, PC gamers don’t seem to be taking to it any better. The latest software update for Asus’ ROG Ally series of handhelds— notably the only ones with Xbox branding—let you ditch it entirely.

“Remappable Gaming Copilot and Push-to-Talk” is the feature highlighted in the latest update to Armoury Crate SE, the Asus software that handles a lot of the in-between stuff for its gaming hardware. “Added the ability to remap Gaming Copilot and Push-to-Talk under the ‘Action’ section of the keymap configuration menu,” reads the relevant entry. This effectively lets you remove Gaming Copilot from the interface, normally bound to a long-press of the Library button.

The update comes along with BIOS updates and Armoury Crate SE 2.1.20.0, according to Windows Central, which also includes fixes for standby mode, UI scaling, and Xbox 360 controller emulation. I’m not seeing the official changelog from Asus directly, or any place to download it. (Normally these appear on this support page.)

The ability to remap the Gaming Copilot feature and effectively ignore it is an interesting move from Asus, especially since it was the first company to partner with Microsoft on its official push for Windows 11 handhelds. Over the last two years, Microsoft has been… a bit pushy when it comes to Copilot “AI” features, and users haven’t embraced it with open arms.

Between that, a seemingly forced migration from Windows 10 to Windows 11, and longstanding resentment as Windows itself becomes chock-full of advertising and features no one asked for, Microsoft isn’t really winning fans at the moment. The timing for Asus’ update is interesting, too: just yesterday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was all but begging people to use “AI” in general and Copilot in particular… which is probably a coincidence.

Meanwhile, Valve’s Steam Deck is still incredibly popular (in this admittedly small niche), and the company is pushing a new wave of hardware to expand its PC gaming dominance into the console space where the Xbox brand is actively retreating.