Google’s Massive Android Play Upgrade Rivals PC Gaming
Google Play Games offers several in-app features designed to engage players, such as leaderboards and cross-platform play on PC. However, the internet search giant is planning to introduce even fresher, better tools to enhance the Play Games experience, including public gamer profiles and social features that could bring Android gaming closer to major PC platforms such as Steam.
The company began notifying select users via email and its support page about the Google Play Games overhaul last week, which is set to begin at the end of this month in select regions.
Android Gamers Gets a Public Profile
According to the announcement, the update will introduce new features to Play Games profiles, which will soon be accessible directly within the Google Play Store on Android devices. These profiles will display gaming stats, achievements, and social features, changes that Google says will “take the gaming experience to the next level.”
To enable these new Play Games features, Google will continue tracking which games you play, how long you play them, and your progress across devices, alongside on PC, to generate personalized profile data.
To power features and services related to your gaming profile, Google will collect information about your game usage, such as which games you’ve played and when you’ve played them. We’ll also use this data to improve the Google Play gaming experience.
However, users will still have the option to customize their profiles, making them discoverable to other players and fostering a more connected community within the Play Games ecosystem. Think of it as Google’s version of Steam, PlayStation Network, or Xbox Live profiles.
Option to Make Your Profile Private
In addition to public profiles, Google confirmed that users will be able to keep their profiles private, giving them full control over what others can see. During the rollout, your current visibility settings will remain the default, so it’s worth checking whether your profile is hidden or public before the update goes live.
The new Google Play Games update begins rolling out on September 23 in most countries, including the United States. Meanwhile, gamers in the UK and EU will receive the new update starting October 1.
What do you think of Google’s new gamer profiles and social features? Will they encourage more people to play and share? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
Via: Android Police Source: Google
