Google has announced a series of updates to make its Play Store more enjoyable to use, as part of the company’s larger effort to transform its online marketplace into “an end-to-end experience that goes beyond a store.” Yes, that’s right: Google wants you to use Google Play.
Here’s what the company plans to do: With this update, AI will generate review summaries that are extracted from user reviews and form a consensus. You may have already encountered this kind of feature on Facebook or Google Search. The company first announced the feature at its I/O event this year.
This near-AI approach also applies to the automatically generated FAQs for each app, driven by the Gemini model. Additionally, there are AI-generated highlights that provide a quick overview of a particular app. Google showed off a still from a photo-editing app with highlights including the number of filters and layouts available, in addition to tools and sharing options. This AI approach also allows users to quickly compare apps in similar categories.
Google is also rolling out Shared Spaces on the Play Store, which are not Reddit-like communities or mini social networks but splash pages for different topics. The company started the project with a pilot on cricket. Shared Spaces allows Indian users to “exploring cricket content across channels, all in one convenient place.” It will include related videos, around 100 curated cricket-related apps, and a quick user survey. The next curated space will be on Japanese manga. There is no word yet on when the feature will be available to users globally across categories.
The entire “buy a new game” experience will also be upgraded, with a primary focus on discovery. Google is promising an “enhanced game details” page, complete with developer YouTube videos and clearly marked promotions, reminiscent of Steam. This extends to the post-purchase experience as well, where returning users will see updated developer notes and tips and tricks sections. The program is in early access and is currently only available to English language users. Google’s oft-overlooked Play Pass will also see some new games, including Asphalt Legends Unite and Candy Crush Saga, as well as the ability for users to play multiple games simultaneously on PC.
Finally, the update also includes some personalization features: a new Collections feature offers custom categories based on previously purchased apps, meaning your Google Play home screen will be unique to you, making it easier to back-to-back shows or finish playing video games.
Many of these upgrades are rolling out starting today, while some are still in Early Access and there are still kinks to be ironed out, like the Shared Spaces feature.
