The landscape of Google’s Play Store is poised for significant transformation following the company’s recent antitrust challenges. Despite a potential shift in its market dominance, Google’s app store remains a key player and is undergoing a substantial upgrade aimed at enhancing user experience through increased personalization and the introduction of AI technology.
A central element of this transformation is the updated Google Play Games. Users will now be able to create public gamer profiles, enabling them to connect with others in the gaming community. The Play Games platform will monitor user activities, rewarding daily streaks that will be visible on profiles, along with unlocking additional rewards through Play Points. Users can also showcase their in-game achievements on their profiles.
Moreover, gaming experiences will now seamlessly traverse across different devices. With Google Play Games for PC officially launching out of beta, the platform boasts compatibility with 200,000 games available on both mobile and PC. Titles such as Deep Rock Galactic Survivor are anticipated to join the expanding catalog soon. Players will have access to their stats and streaks on either platform, provided the titles are sourced from the Play Store.
A pivotal aspect of the app store’s upgrade is the introduction of the You Tab, which will soon be integrated into the main navigation of the Play Store. This feature will provide users with a comprehensive overview of their rewards, subscriptions, gaming statistics, and more, extending beyond gaming to encompass other content, such as books and podcasts.
In addition, users can expect the arrival of new “entertainment spaces” within the Play Store. Drawing inspiration from successful initiatives like the Cricket Hub in India and the Comics section in Japan, these new spaces will be available in the Apps tab, highlighting mobile-friendly films, TV shows, comics, and short-form videos. South Korea is set to debut a space dedicated to mobile-optimized dramas, with the United States also slated to receive new entertainment offerings in the near future.
The redesign of Google Play will further extend its influence beyond the platform itself. Android devices will feature a new in-game overlay dubbed Sidekick, which presents a scrollable pop-over filled with achievements, device settings, and Play Points opportunities. A noteworthy addition will be the Gemini Live shortcut, allowing the AI to observe the user’s screen and offer assistance through suggestions and tips.
The effectiveness of Gemini’s role within Sidekick remains to be seen. While computer screen sharing with Gemini Live is available now, discussions about gameplay have often proved less than insightful. Additionally, many phones already include their own in-game overlays to manage performance and streaming, which could complicate gameplay if users end up with dual overlays while gaming.
Google has announced that these features will begin rolling out in select markets this week. However, the Gemini Live aspect of Sidekick will take a bit longer to become widely available, with AI support for select games expected to be introduced in the coming months.