Microsoft tried really hard to make Copilot+ PCs happen, but the brand never really took off. People shopping for a new Windows laptop might consider Copilot+ support a feature that’s nice to have, but it isn’t moving the needle for most. In fact, users are so frustrated with the amount of AI tools in Windows 11 that a Copilot+ PC might feel like a drawback rather than a perk. I’ve been testing Copilot+ PCs since they debuted two years ago, and I finally found an exclusive feature actually worth using.
For those out of the loop, the Copilot+ badge means that your laptop has a neural processing unit (NPU) with at least 40 TOPS of processing power. Instead of using the CPU or GPU, Copilot+ PCs hand off on-device AI tasks to the NPU for faster processing and better efficiency. However, some Copilot+ features were more controversial than they were helpful (I’m looking at you, Microsoft Recall). After trying Windows Studio Effects for the first time, I’m convinced it’s the only Copilot+ feature that matters.
Windows Studio Effects upgrades my webcam for meetings
It’s a perk of using a Copilot+ PC, and everyone should try it
Windows Studio Effects is a webcam feature suite available on all Copilot+ PCs, regardless of whether you’re using a Snapdragon, Intel, or AMD chip. It uses AI to change the look of your video feed or microphone input right after your hardware captures it. The included NPU on Copilot+ PCs handles on-device processing to apply these special effects to your webcam input:
- Background Blur
- Eye Contact
- Auto Framing
- Voice Focus
- Portrait light
- Creative filters
- Eye contact Teleprompter
You’ve probably used video effects while taking video calls and virtual meetings before. However, these features previously required a third-party app or video calling service, and they leveraged cloud processing. There could be latency or glitches that ruined your live webcam feed, and you had to customize effects like background blur or auto framing for every single app or virtual meeting platform. The difference here is that your laptop’s NPU is tackling the special effects right on your laptop, at the hardware level — it’s quick, secure, and works anywhere in Windows 11.
Trying it out is easy, since the Windows Studio Effects menu is found in the quick settings panel of the Windows 11 taskbar. Open quick settings on your Copilot+ PC, and click Studio effects. You’ll see a live feed of your webcam’s input in real time, and you can choose to apply the special effects supported by your laptop. For instance, I could select Portrait Blur for a subtle bokeh effect or Standard Blur to keep the background completely private. To make sure I’m always in frame, I can enable Auto Framing.
These are common features available on popular video calling platforms, but Windows Studio Effects offers something most other apps don’t: Eye Contact. Ever wonder why it looks like your eyes are focused on something else while using your laptop webcam? It’s because the selfie camera lives right above your display, and you need to look straight at it to make perfect eye contact. This is awkward on a laptop, because it’s natural to look at your screen — and see all the other faces of people in the meeting, or a slide deck.
Eye Contact gives you the best of both worlds. You can look anywhere on your screen, and Windows Studio Effects will use on-device AI to edit your eyes to make it look like you’re looking directly at the webcam. I admit this feature sounds uncanny, but it definitely solves a long-running problem with virtual meetings.
Use Copilot+ for video effects instead of your conferencing app
Your video features will be applied at the hardware level, not the app level
By now, you’re probably wondering why you should use Windows Studio Effects instead of the special effects inside apps like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or WebEx. For those who use multiple virtual meeting platforms, the question answers itself. I take meetings on all sorts of video calling apps, and I don’t want to have to adjust my webcam settings every time I use a new one. By using the effects built into my Copilot+ laptop, I can set my preferences once at the system level, and every app uses them.
There are other perks that come with editing your webcam feed at the system level. Windows Studio Effects makes these changes before your webcam feed is sent to other apps. So, if you are using an app that doesn’t support special effects like these, Windows Studio Effects will still work. They don’t rely on third-party app support or special software capabilities. As long as you have a Copilot+ PC with support for Windows Studio Effects, you can make changes to your live webcam feed before any other app sees it.
The fact that these changes are all being processed on your device makes everything quicker, more reliable, and more private. It also provides some peace of mind. I use Google Meet for most of my calls, and the platform usually remembers my webcam preferences.
Every once in a while, Meet forgets my background blur selection, and I have to catch it before turning my camera on. I never have to worry about accidentally showing a messy background or poor framing, because Windows Studio Effects handles it all without relying on third-party meeting platforms.
These webcam features take the hassle out of meeting prep
I don’t have to worry about picking a background blur every time I use a new app
I used to make sure I joined meetings early to save time for configuring my webcam effects and setting my camera and microphone preferences. Now, I can join right on time, because Windows Studio Effects adjusts my webcam feed before any other app even sees it. I can still use other third-party effects if I want, but I have Windows 11 change my video feed at the system level. It simplifies my meeting prep, and it’s the first Copilot+ feature that actually saves me time and makes my Windows laptop better.
- Operating System
-
Windows 11
- CPU
-
Series 3 Intel Core Ultra X7 Processor 358H (16 cores, 18MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz)
- GPU
-
Intel Arc Graphics
- RAM
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32GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 9600 MT/s
- Storage
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1 TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
The Dell XPS 14 is a premium Windows 11 productivity laptop with decent performance in a modest form factor. At just over half an inch thick and weighing only three pounds, its aluminum chassis is both sleek and easy to carry. The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chip inside is solid, and you should get all-day battery life.
