Google tests Play Store UI change that should help picky gamers save time

At a glance:

• New scrollable genre bubbles appear in the Play Store Games tab, covering genres like Simulation, Puzzle and Life.
• The same genre bubbles are added to the Top Charts tab, replacing the hard‑to‑find Categories dropdown.
• Legacy shortcuts such as Kids, Other devices and Premium disappear from the test UI, though they may return later.

What the current Games tab looks like

The Play Store’s Games tab has long used a fairly rigid top‑navigation bar. As of the latest public build, the bar offers four shortcuts: For You, Top charts, Other devices and Kids. Below the bar sits a Categories dropdown that contains a long, alphabetically ordered list of game genres. Users must tap the dropdown, scroll through dozens of entries, and then select a genre – a process many gamers describe as “overwhelming” and easy to forget.

What the test UI introduces

Screenshots from a newer Play Store build show a markedly different layout. The top‑navigation bar still includes For You and Top charts, but the bar now houses a row of horizontally scrollable, Material‑style bubbles. Each bubble is a direct shortcut to a genre that already exists in the hidden Categories list. The test version displays bubbles for Simulation, Puzzle, Life, and several other genres, with the ability to swipe left or right to reveal more.

The Top charts tab also receives the same genre‑bubble row, effectively removing the need for the bulky Categories dropdown altogether. The redesign therefore saves a tap and a scroll for anyone looking to jump straight into a preferred game type.

Potential impact for gamers

For Android gamers who regularly browse the Play Store for new titles, the change could shave seconds off each search session – a small but noticeable efficiency gain. The genre bubbles are visually prominent, reducing the cognitive load of remembering that a dropdown exists. Moreover, by aligning the Games tab with the Top Charts experience, Google creates a consistent navigation pattern across the store, which may improve overall discoverability of niche genres that previously got lost in the long list.

Open questions and next steps

It is not yet clear where the legacy shortcuts—Kids, Other devices, and Premium—will live in the final design. In the test screenshots they are absent, suggesting they may be moved to a secondary menu or re‑introduced in a later iteration. Google has not announced a rollout timeline, and the feature remains confined to internal testing builds. As with any UI experiment, user feedback will likely shape whether the bubbles become permanent or are tweaked further.

Community reaction

Android Authority’s Megan Ellis highlighted the change in a recent article, noting that the Categories dropdown “is something I always forget exists.” She praised the new design for making genre navigation “a little easier for gamers.” The tip about the upcoming UI was credited to a community member identified only as Gzx, underscoring the role of user‑driven discovery in Google’s iterative process.

Conclusion

Google’s test of genre‑specific bubbles in the Play Store reflects a broader push to streamline app discovery on Android. By reducing the steps needed to reach a game genre, the company hopes to keep users engaged within its ecosystem. Whether the legacy tabs return and how quickly the change reaches the broader public remain to be seen, but the early screenshots suggest a more gamer‑friendly Play Store is on the horizon.