Hello, Ability Powered Gamers! Four score and I don’t know how many years ago, my brother and I were on an epic adventure in space. We had the original Xbox and Halo 2; it had just came out. I was in my mid-twenties and he was a preteen and we were both excited to see what Master Chief had in store for us. We had junk food and Mountain Dew and we played the game from start to finish only stopping to get in a few quick meals. After 12 hours, we finished the game. We both knew that we would have a long wait before Halo 3, we just didn’t realize how long it would be.
Over the next few years I started getting weaker. First, it was being unable to use an Xbox controller, then finally I was unable to use my micro mini PlayStation 2 controller. In a matter of a few years Halo 3 had finally came out, I was no longer able to play console. I moved on to computer games, but there’s just something about console gaming with your kid brother that is special.
What Is Xbox Copilot Mode?
Copilot mode is a feature on Xbox that lets you and another person, or yourself, use two different controllers instead of just one to play a game. With Copilot both controllers can do everything that one controller usually does. For example, controller 1 might be running with the thumbstick while controller 2 presses buttons to jump. In our case, my brother used a standard controller to do most of the actions while I used the Xbox Adaptive Controller to shoot the guns. We both had to work together to play the game.
What Is It Like to Play Using Xbox Copilot?
In my experience, it 100% depends on the game and who you are playing with. We had a pretty easy time.
We started out playing games that we could assign jobs pretty easy in. The Halo series worked pretty well since my brother could aim the gun while I pulled the trigger. It worked so well because pulling the trigger is more complicated than it sounds. I had to gauge when to shoot without knowing exactly who he would be aiming at. Sometimes, I would shoot too soon and miss a headshot that he was going to aim for. Sometimes, I was too slow and the enemy would run out of the crosshair before I shot. My personal favorite was sometimes I would shoot not knowing that he was trying to stealth in and I would wake up a whole room full of enemies. It sounds like I had an easy job pulling the trigger, but in actuality it was complicated to do well as a team. This brings up the other part of my comment. It depends on who you are playing with.
I am super lucky that my brother and I have very similar dispositions while playing video games. If I were playing with someone who was very serious that they were playing games, my experience would be very different. With Xbox Copilot who you are playing with makes the biggest difference in my opinion. If my brother had been super annoyed when we missed stealth shots or when other things went wrong, we probably would not be able to Copilot without one of us getting mad which is not something that makes video games enjoyable. If you play with the right person, and your personalities go together… well, Copilot it is a perfect solution. Even very difficult games are manageable with great communication. How do I know? Because we also play Dark Souls and at the time I am writing this, we haven’t killed each other yet.
Do You Have Any Advice for Others Wanting to Try Xbox Copilot?
I think the biggest advice I have is actually two things. Find actions you both can do that are somewhat a challenge in some way. For example, pulling the trigger in Halo sounds very simple, but it is actually challenging once you realize that you are not moving big crosshairs and don’t always know exactly where is the other person if you’re going to move it to. I never got bored or unfocused with my action.
My second piece of advice would have to be to communicate with your partner a lot. For example my brother started telling me the way he would be moving before we got into a crowded area. For example he would say don’t shoot let me meet up behind him first. A little bit of communication will go a very long way.
To Sum It Up
Playing Halo again with my brother was an amazing experience. I think playing with Copilot made it even more unique then when we played it so many years ago. At the end of the day I am super thankful that the Xbox Adaptive Controller and Copilot mode let us finish something that I really didn’t think we would get to. Copilot can definitely be a challenge in certain situations, but it is something I wouldn’t trade.
But don’t take my word for it, check out Copilot mode and let me know how your experience was! Did you play with someone who worked well with you? Did you learn any tips for others? Leave comments below. Don’t forget to check our Co-Operation section!
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