Google gives Android tablets a second chance with Entertainment Space

If you feel your Android tablet isn’t living up to its potential, you’ll be glad to hear that Google might have a (partial) solution. The company has introduced an Entertainment Space that gives Android tablets a central hub for videos, games, and books.

Somewhat like Google TV, Entertainment Space offers a big-screen interface for both discovering new content across your apps and resuming what you already have on the go. You can find a new Hulu show, hop back into Among Us, or finish reading Ready Player Two.

You won’t always have to commit to downloading content outside of streaming services, either. Certain games in Entertainment Space will support instant play, and you can preview books for free like you would shopping from Google’s store.

Read more: The best Android tablets

You’ll have to be patient to try Entertainment Space yourself. The new front end will be available this month only on Walmart’s Onn-branded tablets. Support will only come to tablets from Lenovo, Sharp, and others later in 2021.

Even so, this could be a welcome addition. Many people use their Android tablets as media players and gaming machines, but that has usually meant scattering your attention across numerous apps that aren’t always optimized for larger screens. Entertainment Space not only puts all your content in one spot, it increases the chances that you’ll find and use tablet-friendly apps.

Google might be counting on that last part to ignite Android tablet sales. While tablet sales have boomed as a whole thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, IDC estimated that Android tablets lost market share to Apple’s iPad in the first quarter of 2021 — they’re not making as compelling a case as Google might like. Entertainment Space could give you better reasons to buy an Android slate, at least if you want to use one to keep entertained while you stay at home.