Microsoft is setting up Xbox Labs, a dedicated unit to study AI-powered game porting and modification technologies. It plans to test techniques that run existing games on other devices or reconfigure them into new forms to expand accessibility and creative possibilities.

On Oct. 13, U.S. media outlet The Verge reported that Xbox Chief Executive Asha Sharma (아샤 샤르마) said in an internal message the company would launch a small experimental group made up of game creators, engineers and scientists.

Xbox Labs will study decompiling and recompiling and modding techniques that have been spreading recently. Decompiling is the process of analysing an executable file to restore a program's structure, while recompiling is the process of reconstructing it so it can run in another environment.

Recently, there have been cases of running Windows PC games on Apple Silicon-based devices or porting them to a web browser. Experiments are also continuing to combine source code from different games to create new play experiences.

Sharma said these changes could break down boundaries between games and hardware and breathe new life into older games. She also noted the possibility that users could evolve from simple consumers into creators who take part in making games.

AI agents are also a core research target. "The way AI writes code and runs and verifies it could also be applied to game development," Sharma said. She added, "Xbox users' annual game play time is more than 72 billion hours, about 5 times the estimated amount of time spent writing code worldwide."

Microsoft plans to share tools and results developed during the research with outside developers. It did not disclose a detailed schedule for releasing the technology or plans for product launches.

Copyright issues remain a challenge. Microsoft maintained its principle of protecting intellectual property for existing games, but it did not present a specific response plan for cases of unauthorised game porting or modification.

Microsoft said the unit is a separate experimental group to explore next-generation gaming technologies and is not meant to replace its existing hardware and games businesses.