Microsoft revamps AI Hub to spotlight Copilot+ PC apps

You just spent over a thousand dollars on a brand-new Copilot+ PC with a dedicated NPU inside, only to realize you have no idea what that chip actually does outside of blurring your webcam background.

Microsoft knows this is a problem. On February 18, the company rolled out a major redesign of the AI Hub inside the Microsoft Store on Windows, turning the storefront into a showcase specifically tailored to hardware capabilities.

Tailored to your silicon

Microsoft initially launched the AI Hub back in 2023 to help users find AI-powered software. The commercial incentive is real: partner Grammarly reported a 245% jump in page views, a 13% increase in installs, and a 24% rise in new active users after being featured.

The new overhaul splits users into two camps based on their machines. It introduces fresh visuals and faster navigation, but what you see depends entirely on whether your PC packs an NPU.

Copilot+ PC owners get a dedicated Welcome Experience designed to onboard them into NPU-driven Windows tools like Windows Studio Effects, Paint Cocreator, and Photos Image Creator. Microsoft confirmed this section will eventually host upcoming features like Recall, Click To Do, and the revamped Windows Search once they hit general availability.

If you are on standard Windows 11 hardware without an NPU, the store pivots to compatible cloud-first utilities, spotlighting tools like Microsoft Copilot, Designer, Clipchamp, and Reading Coach.

Giving local chips real work to do

Microsoft is heavily pushing third-party apps that offload heavy machine learning tasks from the battery-draining CPU and GPU onto the NPU.

DJ software djay Pro uses the NPU to power its NeuralMix stem separation. On Copilot+ PCs, the software runs an AI model twice as large as the version on other machines, producing cleaner audio isolation without tanking performance.

Virtual camera utility Camo Studio shifts real-time background segmentation and relighting onto the NPU, prioritizing zero-latency video while sparing battery life. The store also highlights presentation builder Gamma and OpenAI's ChatGPT app, which is distributed exclusively through the Microsoft Store on Windows.

For now, the revamped AI Hub is rolling out exclusively to Copilot+ PCs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, with broader device and geographic support promised in the coming months.

Why it matters

The biggest hurdle for the next-generation PC upgrade cycle is utility: average consumers simply cannot feel the difference an NPU makes during daily tasks. Redesigning the store to directly surface software that leverages local silicon gives early adopters an actual reason to care about on-device AI.

For the broader ecosystem, Microsoft is playing matchmaker between silicon vendors and third-party developers. Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD have flooded the market with AI PC chips, but hardware without dedicated software is just expensive silicon. Rewarding NPU optimization with prime storefront real estate is how Microsoft motivates developers to write for local neural engines.

We think the hardware-aware segmentation is smart, but the ultra-limited rollout shows how thin the on-device ecosystem still is. Restricting this to four English-speaking markets on Copilot+ hardware suggests there are still very few consumer-ready NPU apps worth highlighting. Until everyday utilities adopt local models en masse, the store risks feeling more like an interactive demo booth than an essential app repository.