Microsoft appears to be moving away from the Copilot+ PC name for its Windows computers after two years of using it to define a new category of AI-focused devices. The branding has become less prominent across recent products, while the hardware standards behind it continue to be supported. Microsoft is now using broader messaging around AI capabilities instead of the category name, following a difficult launch and declining use of the label among PC makers.
Microsoft moves away from Copilot+ PC branding
According to a recent report by Windows Central, Microsoft has confirmed its latest Surface PCs are no longer called Copilot+ PCs. Surface Corporate Vice President Brett Ostrum said the new devices still meet the requirements that previously defined the category and support the same Copilot+ features, the report added.
Microsoft introduced Copilot+ PCs in 2024 with Qualcomm as a new category of Windows computers built around AI capabilities. The devices had to meet specific system requirements, particularly for NPU performance, and initially received access to AI features not available on other Windows PCs.
Microsoft’s 2026 Surface PCs no longer carry the Copilot+ PC label in their product names, unlike earlier models, with references to compatibility now largely limited to specification details. Qualcomm Senior Vice President of Compute Kedar Kondap said the Copilot+ PC category was created around a hardware threshold for NPU-based experiences, including a 45 TOPS NPU, which manufacturers can continue to offer without using the Copilot+ PC name, according to the report.
The report also noted that Nvidia has not used the Copilot+ PC branding for its upcoming RTX Spark platform, even though RTX Spark systems meet the category’s specification requirements. Moreover, it further attributes the reduced use of the branding to the category’s troubled launch. Recall, one of its key features, faced security concerns from researchers over how it handled sensitive information, prompting Microsoft to delay its release.
Several PC makers have reduced their use of the Copilot+ PC name over the past two years, the report further noted. Microsoft has similarly become less prominent in its use of the branding, even though the hardware requirements and associated Copilot+ features continue to be supported.
