Play Games Sidekick also benefits from wider deployment. Stockinq/Shutterstock This year’s Google I/O introduced a series of updates to the Google Play storefront. Most of the new features are, as usual, developer-focused, but there are some notable changes to the way regular Android users will interact with the store. We knew AI would be a big factor in Google’s upcoming plans, with Gemini Intelligence announced at the Android Show: I/O Edition, and of course, there’s even more AI on tap. Google Play is rolling out a new AI-powered feature called Ask Play. This is an overlay that allows users to ask questions in natural language in order to find new applications. This release expands on the previous Q&A tool, which also leveraged AI to answer most discovery queries. If you find yourself getting into a more complex conversation with the assistant, Ask Play Highlights can display a high-level summary of your search at the top of the results page. Google is also making some improvements to the gaming experience with new features for Play Games Sidekick, which the company launched last year. The in-game overlay will now include social information, such as which of your friends are also playing the active app and what achievements they have unlocked. Apple has been providing this type of information in Game Center for years, so bringing Android to parity is a welcome addition. After the initial wave of around 100 supported titles, Sidekick will be available for all participating games starting this summer. Post navigation Google’s latest app is an AI-powered image editor
