Google has unveiled a major update to Google Play, bringing personalization, gaming enhancements, and AI-driven discovery tools to the platform. The announcement was made by Aurash Mahbod, VP & GM, Games on Google Play, in a blog post earlier today.
Google Play Games: The New ‘You’ Tab
A dedicated You tab consolidates personal content and recommendations in one place:
- Rewards, subscriptions, and gameplay stats
- Game achievements and gamer profiles
- Tailored recommendations, including audiobooks and podcasts
- Resume unfinished content and track updates across interests
The Apps tab has been redesigned for richer discovery:
- Regional Hubs: Cricket Hub in India, Comics Hub in Japan, and a K-drama hub in Korea.
- Global Seasonal Highlights: WNBA Playoffs, Halloween, Chuseok, and more.
- Guided Search: AI-powered search organizes apps into categories for queries like “find a home” or “deck-building games.”
Unified Gaming Experience On Google Play Games
- New Gamer Profile: Track achievements, gameplay stats, and personalize profiles with Gen AI Avatars.
- Integrated Rewards: Play Points extend across mobile and PC, with perks like merchandise and VIP access at events such as Comic Con San Diego.
- Play Games Leagues: Debuting 10th to 23rd October with Subway Surfers, offering Play Points rewards and community competitions.
Sidekick In-Game Overlay with Gemini AI
The new Play Games Sidekick overlay allows players to access curated tips, real-time guidance, and conversational help powered by Gemini Live – without leaving gameplay. Using screen-sharing context, Gemini provides in-game assistance. Sidekick will roll out to select titles in the coming months.
Improved Game Pages & Cross-Device Play
- Game Pages: Updated detail pages now feature progress summaries, achievements, events, and developer updates. Players can also ask and answer game-related questions within game pages (rolling out in select markets).
- Cross-Device Gameplay: Google Play Games on PC is now generally available (no longer in beta), supporting 200,000+ titles, including Mecha Break, Subnautica, Monster Train, and Enter the Gungeon. Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is open for pre-registration, while DREDGE joins Play Pass later this month.
Google emphasized its continued investment in AI-based threat detection, privacy protections, and developer tools. Industry partnerships are being expanded to strengthen safety and trust across the platform.
The ‘You’ tab and Play Games features are rolling out this week in select Play Points markets, and global expansion begins from 1st October 2025.
