Google has decided to update the ratings we all see for apps on the Play Store based on where you are located in the world and what device is being used.
In a post on the Android Developers Blog, Tom Grinsted, Scott Lin, and Tat Yang Koh, Product Managers at Google Play, explain that both users and developers have said Play Store ratings and reviews could be "more helpful." The ratings are currently universal, so if a bug only impacts an app in one country, for example, negative reviews will impact that app's rating worldwide. The opposite is also true if, say, a great new feature is only rolled out to app users in a few locations.
Another problem Google decided to solve is the ratings not taking into account the device a user is accessing the Play Store on or for. So if you visit using a tablet, the app ratings displayed could predominantly be for the smartphone version of the app. The same is true if you're using a Chromebook or are considering the app for a wearable (Wear OS) or your Android Auto-enabled car.
With that in mind, Google is making two changes to the way ratings work for apps. The first triggers in November and will switch to showing phone users "ratings specific to their registered country." The second triggers at some point early next year and means "users on other form-factors such as tablets, Chromebooks, and wearables will start to see ratings specific to the device that they’re on."
For Android users, it's unlikely you'll notice the change beyond there being fewer ratings to scroll through. But hopefully the smaller list is at least much more relevant to you and your decision to use a particular app or not.
For developers, the Play Console is receiving a major update to offer device type insights, access to more granular usage data, and it's getting easier to download data. Google is also going to analyze each app at least 10 weeks ahead of the ratings changes detailed above to give developers a heads-up if it means they'll see a big change in certain countries so they have time to plan and react to it.