In supported games, a draggable floating handle appears on screen—it can be moved to either side, dismissed entirely, or re-opened from notifications. Tapping it launches a versatile overlay panel, compatible with both portrait and landscape orientation. The panel links to your profile and Play Points, and includes quick controls for taking screenshots, recording gameplay, streaming directly to YouTube, and enabling Do Not Disturb.
At the center is a “Start Gemini Live” button. This fires up the assistant, begins screen sharing, and gives you inline controls to mute the mic or end the session. You can ask Gemini about almost anything happening in-game, with answers tailored to your context. The idea: instead of leaving the game to search walkthroughs or guides, you get real-time voice tips, tricks, and coaching right inside your play session.
During the demo, Google showed Sidekick in action with The Battle of Polytopia, where Gemini Live seamlessly provided contextual guidance.
This feature is the result of a collaboration between Google Play and the DeepMind team, which last December previewed AI agents for gaming. Gemini doesn’t just rely on scripts—it can interpret and reason about gameplay based solely on what’s happening on screen.
Meanwhile, Sidekick itself offers more than coaching. It includes:
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AI-powered Game Tips customized to your playstyle
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Carousels for achievements, streaks, quests, and coupons (Play Points)
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Play Credit rewards that can be redeemed directly
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Special gameplay boosts
Google says players will get to try Play Games Sidekick with Gemini Live in select titles “over the coming months.”
On the developer side, Google is rolling out a new “Level Up” program. By supporting the platform’s latest features, studios gain access to perks and benefits. Sidekick integration is one of those requirements, with a deadline of July 2026. Another upcoming mandate: support for cloud saves and seamless restore by November 2026.
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