Play Games Sidekick is also getting a wider rollout.
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This year's Google I/O has introduced a pile of updates for the Google Play storefront. Most of the new features are developer-focused as usual, but there are a couple standout changes to the way that regular Android users will interact with the store.
We knew that AI would be a big factor in Google's upcoming plans, with Gemini Intelligence announced during the Android Show: I/O Edition, and of course there's more artificial intelligence to be had. Google Play is rolling out a new AI-powered feature called Ask Play. It's an overlay that allows users to ask natural language questions in order to find new apps. This version expands on the previous Q&A tool, which also leveraged AI to answer most queries for discovery. If you find you're getting into a more complex chat with the assistant, the Ask Play highlights can show a top-level summary of your search at the top of the results page.
Google is also bringing some improvements to the gaming experience with new features for Play Games Sidekick, which the company debuted last year. The in-game overlay will now include social information, such as who among your friends also plays the active app and what achievements they've unlocked. Apple has provided that type of information in Game Center for years, so bringing Android to parity is a welcome addition. After the initial wave of about 100 supported titles, Sidekick will be available for all participating games beginning this summer.
