Nvidia’s new G-Assist AI could be the best party member for hardcore PC gamers
What started as an April Fool’s joke in 2017 could become real technology. At Computex 2024, Nvidia unveiled a tech demo for Project G-Assist, an AI assistant that can improve the way people play video games.
The old joke was that the AI could play games for you at the touch of a button. This new version is not as capable as its fantasy counterpart, but can still help you play. According to the announcement postG-Assist can answer questions about completing quests, finding items, or helping you defeat tough bosses.
To activate the AI, simply press a hotkey or speak a wake-up phase. A window will appear on the screen. From there you can type a text prompt or speak it through the microphone.
Nvidia claims that G-Assist is contextually aware. Through visual models, it can make recommendations on what a player should do next just by looking at the screen. It may indicate that you need to craft some equipment for your character or avoid an enemy on the screen. The information it provides depends on what you are playing. For role-playing games, it can tell you about the knowledge of the surrounding world. If you’re playing a first-person shooter, G-Assist will recommend the best gear.
Admittedly, all the AI tidbits can be found with a simple Google search. It is not that G-Assist has access to a secret wealth of knowledge. The main advantage here is that you don’t have to leave your game. A lot of important data can all be accessed at the touch of a button.
The source of a game’s information makes us curious. Nvidia says each output will provide “context-sensitive links,” which will take you to additional resources online, such as official community wikis. Whether this will include unofficial sources such as YouTube videos remains to be seen.
Adjust computer
In addition to the playthrough helper, the assistant also has a feature that we think hardcore gamers will appreciate: Performance Tuning. Activating this allows the AI to “evaluate your system’s configuration… and instantly fine-tune it for an optimal experience.” For example, it might decide to power a graphics card to increase energy efficiency, enable “safe GPU overclocking,” and enable Nvidia Reflex to reduce latency, among other things.
G-Assist even tracks your computer’s performance as you play and informs you of key metrics, from a game’s current frame rate to latency spikes. The corner window shows a graphical readout of a particular statistic within a specific time frame. It depends what you ask the assistant.
Additionally, the AI suggests actions you can take to improve a computer’s overall performance or explain certain features. For example, DLAA (deep-learning anti-aliasing) and DLSS (deep-learning super sampling) are a pair of graphics software that Nvidia created to improve the visual fidelity of a video game. The average person may have difficulty understanding the differences between them and what exactly they do. G-Assist can help break through difficult concepts to better inform people.
The AI is shaping up to be yet another great app from Nvidia. It’s definitely something we want to try out for ourselves on our favorite titles. At the time of writing this article, G-Assist is being showcased at Computex. It is unknown if and when it will launch or if there will ever be a beta.
Ny Breaking has reached out to Nvidia to ask if it plans to release a public beta and if it will be expanded to non-gaming apps soon. We will update this story if we hear back.
Check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best gaming PCs for 2024 if you’re in the market.