I played RidePods, a free iPhone racing game you steer with AirPods

“Experience the world’s first motorcycle racing game controlled with earbuds! “Tilt your head, dodge traffic, ride with speed,” reads the description of the game in the App Store. As of now the game is exclusive to Apple’s wireless headphones that have Spatial Audio, and these include AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max, and the third and fourth generations of AirPods. For the gameplay, the Spatial Audio tracks movements using the accelerometer and gyroscope that are integrated into these AirPods models. The accelerometer and gyroscope are used to track the movements of the head and adjust the position according to the audio. 

I steered a bike with my head

After learning about the game, I installed it on my iPhone. The installation was very simple, as you aren’t required to fill in details or create an account. The plug-and-play facet greatly impressed me. While the game is intriguing, it is slightly rough around the edges. It is not a polished game, and you could spot some glitches, especially with the road. The gameplay offers a never-ending straight road without any turns. Consequently, it feels more like a concept in progress than a full-fledged game. 

The RidePods home screen keeps it simple — tap play, put on your AirPods, and race using head movements.

Even with the flaws, the control system is remarkable and is one of the game’s strongest suits. I played it using the AirPods Pro 2, and the head-tracking was efficient. Initially, it felt a bit too speedy, but over time I got into the rhythm. I liked the responsiveness of the game, especially with the AirPods reacting to my subtle movements.

Even when played using a single AirPod earbud, the game is incredibly responsive, and it felt natural. Interestingly, you can also play the game using the earbuds as a handheld motion controller. While the left earbud worked well, the right earbud was not very responsive in isolation. This mode would require more precision and control, adding a new layer of challenge to the game. 

In RidePods, players steer a motorcycle by tilting their head while dodging traffic at high speeds.

I feel RidePods underscores the creative potential of AirPods as an unconventional game controller. As of now the game seems more experimental, but in no time this could unfold new opportunities for mobile game developers and gamers. 

How does the game look?

The app is fairly simple. The homescreen of the game has the title, a play button, a settings icon, and a rewards icon. When it comes to controls, you can brake or accelerate the motorcycle by tilting your head forwards and back. A player is expected to dodge cars and trucks as the motorcycle speeds along the road. 

Players can also opt between first-person and third-person views of the motorcycle. For those interested in sharing their high scores, the app allows you to record both the gameplay and a selfie video of the player in a single clip. While there are no bells and whistles, the RidePods game is a simple and clean game suited for short play sessions. 

RidePods settings let you adjust sound, toggle music, and even enable head-tilt controls for braking and acceleration.

As a concept it is bold, but since it is in a nascent stage, the app has a 3.7 out of 5 rating on the App Store. The app is 104 MB and is only compatible with iOS 15.6 and above and is in English. When it comes to data practices, the app explicitly mentions that it does not collect any data. 

Why does it matter?

The world’s first earbuds-controlled motorcycle racing game, RidePods introduces a fresh take on experiencing motorcycle racing. “Whether you are a casual rider or a competitive racer, RidePods offers an addictive gameplay loop that keeps you coming back. Race through endless roads, beat your own records, and push your limits with every ride,” read the App Store description.

The game was announced on Y Combinator. In the discussion post, Tanis also shared that a few weeks ago, while listening to music and developing an app with his AirPods, he noticed Apple’s Spatial Audio feature. “I thought about what else could be done with reverse engineering, including the possibility of using AirPods as a motion controller. I built the world’s first AirPods-controlled game, which uses a motor driven by head movements,” wrote Tanis. 

Tanis said that it was not just AirPods; the game uses a headset as a motion controller, adding that the App Store approved his game. In order for the game to work, Tanis had to reverse engineer the Spatial Audio feature. Apple is known to provide developers with access to headphone motion data to use features like fitness tracking in their apps.