Google Play Games gets new feature that should have been there all along

Google Play Games received a small but important update recently that delivers a feature most might argue should have been there all along. That’s right, you can now create a custom gamertag for your Google Play Games account. Previously, the service would just show your first and last initial.

“Over the next few weeks we’re rolling out Gamer IDs to Google Play Games,” Google product manager Ben Frenkel said. “Gamer IDs give you the ability to create a gaming persona, so you too can embrace your inner gaming hero. You can customize a unique Gamer ID and select a Gamer Picture to create a whole new gaming identity.”

Gamers will receive a prompt to set their Gamer ID when they log into a new game, which will kick off a whole customization process. You’ll be able to choose from more than 40 avatars for your picture, for example, and can set specific privacy settings to allow people to view your gameplay activity or not.

Act fast if you have a particular Gamer ID in mind – they’re all unique, so no two can be alike. Open the Google Play Games app on your Android device to get started.