Google’s Gemini sidekick wants to help you git gud at mobile gaming

Look, I know another AI assistant announcement sounds like we’re stuck in some kind of algorithmic Groundhog Day (because apparently every company needs their own copilot now), but Google’s latest move with Gemini actually makes sense for once. The company just unveiled Play Games Sidekick, which embeds Gemini Live directly into mobile games as an in-game overlay that can see your screen and offer real-time advice.

Here’s what’s wild: instead of waiting for you to alt-tab out and Google “how to beat level 47” like some kind of caveman, Sidekick lets you just ask Gemini while you’re playing. The AI can literally see what’s happening on your screen (thanks to Gemini’s screen-sharing capabilities), so you can point at stuff and say “this” or “that thing over there” and it’ll know what you mean. During Google’s demo with The Battle of Polytopia, Gemini offered specific strategic advice and even cracked game-specific jokes that were… well, let’s just say the AI’s comedy career isn’t taking off anytime soon.

Thing is, this actually feels like a natural evolution of how people already use AI for gaming help. Instead of frantically typing questions into ChatGPT while your character dies, you get contextual assistance without breaking flow. It won’t replace those deep-dive strategy guides written by humans who’ve spent 400 hours min-maxing everything, but for quick “wait, what do I do now?” moments, it’s genuinely useful.

The rollout is refreshingly restrained for a Google AI launch (shocking, I know). Sidekick will only appear “in select games over the coming months” from partners like EA and NetMarble, including titles like Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes and FC Mobile. You can dismiss the overlay entirely if you want, and the Gemini features require you to actively engage—no AI constantly chattering unsolicited advice while you’re trying to concentrate.

Google’s clearly taking a page from Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot playbook here, but the implementation feels more thoughtful. The overlay includes other useful stuff too: quick screenshot tools, recording shortcuts, achievement tracking, and a direct YouTube live streaming button. It’s positioning itself as your gaming command center that happens to have an AI assistant built in, rather than an AI assistant that awkwardly inserted itself into gaming.

This ties into Google’s broader push to make Play Store more than just “the place you download apps.” They’re adding a new “You” tab that combines gaming profiles, content recommendations, and deals into a unified hub. Plus, Google Play Games is finally coming out of beta on PC after three years, suggesting the company is serious about creating a proper gaming ecosystem rather than just throwing features at the wall.

The most encouraging part? Google seems to understand that AI assistance works best when it’s contextual and optional. Sidekick only activates when you want it, provides specific help based on what you’re actually doing, and stays out of your way otherwise. After years of companies cramming AI into every possible interface whether it makes sense or not, this feels like someone finally asked “what would actually be helpful?”

Sources: The Verge and Engadget

Want more than just the daily AI chaos roundup? I write deeper dives and hot takes on my Substack (because apparently I have Thoughts about where this is all heading): https://substack.com/@limitededitionjonathan