Google is turning Gemini into a gaming sidekick with a new Android overlay (www.engadget.com)

Google announced Play Games Sidekick, a small, moveable Android overlay that brings Gemini Live and a suite of gaming utilities into any Play Store title. The tab surfaces quick actions (screenshots, screen recording, YouTube livestream shortcut), achievements and game stats, swipeable AI-curated tips, and a one-tap Gemini Live assistant. In demos Gemini used screen sharing to interpret ambiguous in-game references and offer strategy tips (e.g., for The Battle of Polytopia), showing it can provide fast, contextual help without lengthy queries. Google emphasizes optionality—players can ignore or dismiss the overlay—and says Gemini features will appear only in select partner games (EA, NetMarble titles like Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, FC Mobile, Solo Leveling Arise) over the coming months. Beyond Sidekick, Google is adding a platform-level gaming profile that aggregates achievements and stats across Android and PC, supports AI-generated profile pictures, social follow lists and Play Store-hosted forums. The PC Play Games client is leaving beta, positioning Google more directly against Steam and Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot approach. Technical implications: embedding an LLM-powered agent with screen-share inputs could speed in-game problem solving and discovery, but adoption hinges on developer opt‑ins and user privacy preferences. The rollout signals Google’s renewed, more pragmatic push into gaming after Stadia — focused on augmenting mobile play with AI rather than building a new cloud platform.