Control Your iPhone Game With AirPods Using RidePods
▼ Summary
– Developer Ali Tanis has released RidePods, the first game for iPhones and iPads that uses AirPods as motion controllers by tracking head tilts.
– The game requires Apple wireless headphones with Spatial Audio (AirPods Pro, Max, or 3rd/4th gen) to access the accelerometer and gyroscope for head movement tracking.
– RidePods is described as unpolished with graphical glitches and feels more like a tech demo than a complete game, though the controls are nuanced and responsive.
– Players can control the motorcycle with subtle head movements, use a single AirPod as a handheld controller, and toggle between first-person and third-person views.
– The reviewer sees potential in headphone motion controls for mobile gaming and suggests interest in hands-free versions of other games despite RidePods’ limitations.
A new iPhone game called RidePods lets you control the action using just your head movements while wearing Apple AirPods. Developer Ali Tanis has introduced what appears to be the first title for iOS and iPadOS that transforms Apple’s wireless earbuds into a motion-sensing wearable controller. Instead of tapping or tilting your device, you steer a speeding motorcycle through traffic by simply tilting your head from side to side.
The experience is currently limited to Apple headphones equipped with Spatial Audio technology. This includes the AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and the third and fourth-generation standard AirPods. These models contain built-in accelerometers and gyroscopes that track the orientation and movement of your head, data which the game cleverly repurposes for steering. Tanis revealed on Y Combinator that some reverse engineering of the Spatial Audio feature was necessary, though Apple does provide official access to headphone motion data for developers to use in applications like fitness tracking.
In terms of overall polish, RidePods feels more like a promising prototype than a finished product. The visuals can be glitchy, with the road sometimes vanishing, and the track seems to be an endless straight line without any curves. However, the core control scheme is impressively refined. Testing with both AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) and AirPods Max revealed that head-tilting to steer is surprisingly intuitive and responsive. The motorcycle reacts accurately to even very slight head motions.
You can even play the game using just a single AirPod. If you disable the Automatic Head or Ear Detection feature in your AirPods settings, you can hold a single earbud in your hand and use it as a miniature motion controller. This method is considerably more challenging and requires a very steady hand.
The game offers an additional setting intended to let you control your speed by tilting your head forward to accelerate and backward to brake. In practice, this feature didn’t seem to have a noticeable impact on the motorcycle’s velocity during testing. Players can also switch between a first-person and a third-person perspective, watching a riderless bike navigate the highway. For those eager to share their performance, a built-in recording function captures both the gameplay and a simultaneous selfie video in one combined clip.
While RidePods itself may not become a daily obsession, it successfully demonstrates the exciting potential of using head-tracking technology for hands-free mobile gaming. The app is completely free to download, and the novel control method sparks the imagination. One can easily envision paying for a hands-free version of a classic game like Solitaire, where you could move cards around using nothing more than subtle nods and turns of your head.
(Source: The Verge)
