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Google is expanding Play Games profiles into a more social, discoverable experience. Beginning September 23, most users will see updated Play Games profiles that display gaming stats and milestones and introduce new social features. The UK and EU will follow on October 1 as part of a staged global rollout.
Product features
Social features and discovery
The refreshed Play Games profiles will be easier to find and navigate inside Google Play. Profiles will showcase which games a player has installed, playtime patterns, achievements and milestones, and include social tools meant to help friends and other players discover gaming activity.
Gaming stats and milestones
Google says profiles will aggregate key gameplay metadata such as recent sessions, play history, and notable in-game accomplishments. These insights are intended to give players and peers a single view of a user’s gaming footprint on Google Play.
Comparison: Play Games vs Steam
The new approach looks similar to PC gaming platforms like Steam, where profiles are visible to friends and show what titles have been played, current sessions, and achievements. Play Games aims to bring more of that social visibility to Android and Google Play users while remaining integrated with the Play ecosystem.
Advantages and use cases
For players, the update makes it easier to showcase achievements, find peers, and track progress across mobile games. For publishers and developers, profile visibility can improve community growth, retention analytics, and discovery of titles via social signals.
Privacy, data collection and controls
Google will collect game usage data to enable the new features, including which games were played and when. Existing profile visibility settings will be preserved as defaults when profiles update. Users can change visibility settings or delete their Play Games profile from their Google Account at any time. Deleting an entire Google Account will also remove all associated data and content.
Rollout schedule and market relevance
The update begins on September 23 for most global users and reaches the UK and EU on October 1. This move signals Google’s intent to strengthen gaming discovery and social engagement on Android, making Play Games a more competitive social hub for mobile gaming.
Developer impact
Developers may continue to receive profile and activity data to improve games, subject to their privacy policies. They may also supply Google with activity signals such as achievements and progress to power profile features and analytics.
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