Microsoft worked hard to make Copilot+ PC a reality, but the brand never really caught on. People buying a new Windows laptop might consider Copilot+ support a nice-to-have feature, but most people aren’t interested. In fact, users are so dissatisfied with the plethora of AI tools in Windows 11 that Copilot+ PC can feel like a drawback rather than a benefit. I’ve been testing Copilot+ PC since its debut two years ago, and I’ve finally found some unique features that actually make it worth using.
For those unaware, the Copilot+ badge means the laptop has a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with at least 40 TOPS of processing power. Instead of using the CPU or GPU, Copilot+ PC offloads on-device AI tasks to the NPU for faster processing and increased efficiency. However, some features of Copilot+ were more controversial than helpful (Microsoft Recall, I’m looking at you). After trying Windows Studio Effects for the first time, I was convinced that this was the only important feature of Copilot+.
Windows Studio Effects upgrades webcams for meetings
This is a perk of using Copilot+ PC, so we encourage you to give it a try.
Windows Studio Effects is a suite of webcam features available on all Copilot+ PCs, whether they use Snapdragon, Intel, or AMD chips. Use AI to change the appearance of your hardware immediately after it captures your video feed or microphone input. The NPU included in Copilot+ PC handles on-device processing to apply the following special effects to webcam input:
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background blur
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eye contact
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autoframing
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audio focus
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portrait light
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creative filter
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eye contact teleprompter
You’ve probably used video effects before when conducting video calls or virtual meetings. However, these features previously required third-party apps or video calling services and leveraged cloud processing. Lags and glitches could mess up live webcam feeds, and effects like background blur and auto-frames had to be customized for each app and virtual meeting platform. The difference here is that the laptop’s NPU is working on the special effects on the laptop at the hardware level. It’s fast, secure, and works everywhere on Windows 11.
The Windows Studio Effects menu is located in the Quick Settings panel on the Windows 11 taskbar, so it’s easy to try out. Open quick settings on Copilot+ PC and studio effects. A live feed of your webcam input is displayed in real time, and you can choose to apply any special effects supported by your laptop. For example, you can select portrait blur When obtaining a subtle bokeh effect, standard blur Keep your background completely private. To always stay within the frame, enable the following options: autoframing.
These are common features available on popular video calling platforms, but Windows Studio Effects offers features that most other apps don’t have. eye contact. Have you ever wondered why your eyes seem to be focused on something different when you’re using your laptop’s webcam? This is because the selfie camera is placed directly above the display, and you have to look straight into the camera to make full eye contact. This is tricky on laptops. Looking at a screen is natural. Because it’s natural to see other faces and slide decks of people participating in meetings.
eye contact It offers the best of both worlds. You can look anywhere on the screen, and Windows Studio Effects uses on-device AI to edit your eyes to appear as if you’re looking directly into your webcam. I admit that this feature sounds strange, but it definitely solves a long-standing problem with virtual meetings.
Use Copilot+ for video effects instead of conferencing apps
Video functionality is applied at the hardware level, not the app level
You’re probably wondering why you should use Windows Studio Effects instead of in-app special effects like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or WebEx. For those using multiple virtual meeting platforms, the question comes naturally. I attend meetings with all kinds of video calling apps, and I don’t want to have to adjust my webcam settings every time I use a new app. Copilot+ Laptop’s built-in effects allow you to set preferences once at the system level, and all apps use those effects.
There are other benefits to editing your webcam feed at the system level. Windows Studio Effects makes these changes before the webcam feed is sent to other apps. So even if you’re using an app that doesn’t support these special effects, Windows Studio effects will still work. It does not rely on third-party app support or special software features. As long as you have a Copilot+ PC that supports Windows Studio effects, you can make changes to your live webcam feed before it appears in other apps.
All of these changes are processed on your device, so everything is faster, more reliable, and more private. It also gives you some peace of mind. I use Google Meet for most calls, and the platform usually remembers my webcam settings.
Sometimes Meet forgets to select background blur, so you have to catch it before you turn on the camera. You don’t have to worry about accidentally displaying cluttered backgrounds or inappropriate frames because Windows Studio Effects handles everything without relying on a third-party meeting platform.
These webcam features make meeting preparation a breeze
No need to worry about selecting background blur every time you use a new app
In the past, I would always try to join a meeting early to save time configuring webcam effects and setting up my camera and microphone. Windows Studio Effects now adjusts to your webcam feed before other apps see it, so you can join in on time. You can still use other third-party effects if you want, but Windows 11 makes changes to the video feed at the system level. This is the first Copilot+ feature to simplify meeting preparation and actually save time and improve performance on Windows laptops.
- operating system
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Windows 11
- CPU
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Series 3 Intel Core Ultra X7 Processor 358H (16 cores, 18MB cache, up to 4.8 GHz)
- GPU
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intel arc graphics
- rum
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32GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel (9600 MT/s)
- storage
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1TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
The Dell XPS 14 is a premium Windows 11 productivity laptop with decent performance in a decent form factor. At just over half an inch thick and weighing only 3 pounds, the aluminum chassis is sleek and easy to transport. The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chip inside is robust and provides all-day battery life.
