Google Play will let you try paid games for free before buying them

At the Game Developers Conference, Google announced a host of gaming-focussed updates to Google Play. The most notable update is the introduction of game trials. What this simply means is that players can try out a short version of the game before they decide to make the full purchase. Additionally, the changes also include cross-device sync, community posts, and an AI-powered game overlay called Sidekick. 

Google Play's new gaming features aims to make things easier for players

Game Trials helps players decide whether to buy the game by testing the full-version of the limited paid games at no extra cost. It will also arrive on Google Play Games on PC eventually. A trial provides access to the complete game experience for a limited period compared to traditional demos. 

If players decide to purchase the game, the progress will automatically be carried over and they can pick up where they left off during the trial. Additionally, select paid games can be purchased and accessed both on mobile and PC versions. This removes the need to buy the same title separately for different platforms. The ‘Buy once, Play anywhere’ is rolling out to titles like Reigns series, OTTTD, and Dungeon Crawler. 

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The game’s progress will be synced across devices. Players can start a game on their smartphone and continue it on PC using Google Play Games.

Google has also introduced Community Posts for popular games that will allow players to share tips, ask questions, and more. It is currently live in English with support for additional languages soon.

Furthermore, the Sidekick is an in-game overlay that provides real-time AI-powered gaming assistance from Gemini Live. Once again, this is for limited paid games only. 

Stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma for more tech updates.