The era of Google’s Play’s unrivaled dominance may be coming to an end in the wake of the company’s antitrust loss, but Google’s app store isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the Play Store experience is getting a massive update with more personalization, content, and yes, AI. This is Google, after all.
The revamped Google Play Games is a key part of this update. Gamer profiles will now have a public face, allowing you to interact with other players if you choose. Play Games will track your activity for daily streaks, which will be shown on your profile and unlock new Play Points rewards. Your profile will also display your in-game achievements.
Your gaming exploits can also span multiple platforms. Google Play Games for PC is officially leaving beta. Google says there are now 200,000 games that work across mobile and PC, and even more PC-friendly titles, like Deep Rock Galactic Survivor, are on the way. Your stats and streaks will apply across both mobile and PC as long as the title comes from the Play Store.
At the core of Google’s app store revamp is the You Tab, which will soon take its place in the main navigation bar of the Play Store. This page will show your rewards, subscriptions, game, stats, and more—and it goes beyond gaming. The You Tab will recommend a variety of content on Google Play, including books and podcasts.
You may also see new “entertainment spaces” in the Play Store based on the successful Cricket Hub in India and Comics space in Japan. The spaces will appear (somewhat confusingly) in the Apps tab to surface movies, TV shows, comics, and short-form video designed for mobile. South Korea will be getting the first new space focused on mobile-optimized dramas, but the US will have new entertainment spaces soon.
Google Play’s redesign will even follow you when you leave the client. Android devices will be getting a new in-game overlay called Sidekick. This scrollable pop-over is jam-packed with achievements, device settings toggles, and Play Points offers. Most importantly, it’s where you’ll find the new Gemini Live shortcut. Tab that, and Gemini will see your screen and be ready to help with suggestions and tips.
It’s unclear how much use Gemini in Sidekick will be. You can use Gemini Live screen sharing right now, but the robot rarely has anything useful to say about your gameplay. Many phones also already have their own in-game overlay to control performance, notifications, or streaming. You may have to disable the Play Store or OEM overlay unless you want two floating handles on your screen while gaming.
Google says these changes will begin rolling out in select markets this week. However, the Gemini Live component of Sidekick will take a bit longer. Sidekick’s AI will begin appearing with support for select games in the coming months.