Google Play Updated for Users, Developers

Google today announced two sets of updates to its Google Play Store for users and developers, respectively.

“Google Play is more than just a place to download apps and games,” Google’s Aurash Mahbod writes. “It’s an experience built entirely around you, with curated content and timely information during the moments that matter most.”

Here’s what’s new in Google Play for users.

Google Play Games for PC is out of beta. Google Play Games for PC has been in open beta for over three years, with Google adding multiple new features and adding new markets in that time. But now it’s out of beta with a catalog of over 200,000 game titles available across mobile and Windows PCs. Recent additions include Mecha Break, the platform’s first PC-native title, plus Subnautica, Monster Train and Enter the Gungeon. And Deep Rock Galactic Survivor and DREDGE are both coming soon.

Play Games Sidekick. This Gaming Copilot-like feature uses Gemini for real-time guidance in games and displays curated, organized, and relevant information about the game you’re playing using in-game overlays. You can ask Sidekick for real-time help, and Gemini Live will examine the screen, figure out the context of your issues, and deliver verbal tips and other guidance.

Game detail page improvements. Google is updating the detail pages for games so you can figure out if you want to download one without resorting to online searches. These enhanced game detail pages “provide a wealth of information about each game, including ongoing events, developer updates and offers,” Google says. If you already downloaded a game, that page will display summaries of game progress, achievements and developer updates. And in October, you’ll be able to ask and answer questions about a game right from its details page.

You tab. This new tab in Google Play is rolling out this week starting in select Google Play Points markets before expanding to additional countries in October. It provides a centralized interface for your rewards, subscriptions, recommendations, stats, and updates, plus your gamer profile. And it will soon expand with new content, including audiobook recommendations and the ability to pick up where you left off in a podcast or e-book.

Apps tab improvements. After experimenting with new spaces dedicated to entertainment and seasonal topics, like the Cricket Hub in India and the Comics space in Japan, Google is expanding these features worldwide. In Korea, for example, users can access a new Entertainment space in the Apps tab in Google Play that brings together movies, TV shows and short-form dramas optimized for mobile. And in the U.S., the Apps tab has a new space for short-form dramas, webcomics, and trending TV shows and movies. These and other spaces are now displayed at the top of the Apps tab and will spotlight timely topics with content from multiple apps, Google says. There’s also a new Guided Search feature that organizes results into categories.

Gamer profile improvements. Your Google Play gamer profile now works at the platform level so that you get unified experiences for achievements, stats, and other information across multiple devices and device types.

Gen AI Avatars. A new Gen AI Avatar builder helps you create a unique avatar to represent yourself online.

Rewards improvements. In addition to supporting Google Play Points, you can now connect your Play profile with merchandise and VIP experiences at events like Comic Con San Diego, Google says. And new Play Games Leagues will let you compete for Play Points, with the first league, for Subway Surfers, coming on October 10 and running through October 23.

Google Play Games Level Up. This new program help developers integrate with many of the new features noted above so that they can offer integrated experiences for gamers. You can enroll your games in the program and then meet Google’s new user experience guidelines for each release milestone, with the first milestones targeting Play Games Sidekick and Achievements scheduled for July 2026. After that, there are Cloud save and Seamless restore milestones set for November 2026. Google is also making it easier to create cross-platform games, with support for mobile-attached controllers, Android XR, and Google Play Games for PC.

“Player expectations and developer needs are always evolving,” Mahbod explains. “The Level Up program is designed to evolve with them which is why user experience guidelines and benefits may be updated over time. We believe that by partnering to build amazing experiences, we can build a stronger ecosystem for everyone.”