- Laptop manufacturers will have freedom of choice for where they want to place the Copilot key on their laptop keyboards.
- The Copilot key is not a hardware requirement for Windows laptops launching in 2025, confirms Microsoft.
- Microsoft does have a recommendation for the Copilot key location, stating it should 'generally' be opposite to the Windows key.
Microsoft recently put its full force behind Copilot by announcing the addition of a new Copilot key on modern laptops. While it is unclear when desktop keyboards will feature updated designs with the brand new key, many laptops launched at CES 2024 with this new design update.
When Microsoft made the announcement, it left many wondering if all Windows laptops would be required to have the Copilot key. Now, the company has clarified its stance on the same.
The company was asked about the Copilot key by the German publication DrWindows.de, and well, the response wasn’t what we expected. According to Microsoft, the Copilot key placement will vary in different Windows laptops based on the manufacturers’ decision. Microsoft seems to have a general recommendation of putting the Copilot key opposite to the Windows key on keyboards, but it’s not mandatory.
Many are not happy about this and want to keep using the right Ctrl key or the Menu key for shortcuts. Microsoft’s recommendation replaces one of these with the dedicated key for launching Copilot AI.
In whatever case, there should be an easy way to replace the key binding with something “more useful” if that’s what you want. We will make a guide on the same as soon as possible!
Furthermore, it is stated that the Copilot AI key is not a mandatory hardware requirement on 2025 Windows laptops. Thus, it will be interesting to see how many laptops adopt the Copilot key & give into the AI hype. Microsoft has confirmed its new Surface lineup of PCs will feature this key.
Acer recently released new laptops with the Copilot key. The new Samsung Galaxy Book 4 also has it. With the inclusion of a dedicated button, you can quickly launch Microsoft’s AI assistant. Check out this guide to enable Copilot AI on Windows.
What are your thoughts on the Copilot AI key? If you were the laptop manufacturer, where would you personally place this new dedicated button for launching the AI Assistant? Let us know in the comments below.
