iPhone’s Latest Game: Play Hands-Free with This Surprising Accessory!

Many mobile games are played by swiping the screen or tilting the smartphone. RidePods breaks new ground as it is the first iPhone game that can be controlled hands-free.

Apple’s AirPods are wireless earbuds that not only play music and podcasts and make calls but also boast several unique features. The latest AirPods Pro 3, for example, includes real-time voice translation and a heart rate monitor.

But what if we told you that AirPods could now replace game controllers? It sounds unbelievable, but that’s exactly the innovative gameplay introduced by the very first iPhone game that is played not by swiping or tilting the screen, but indeed, with AirPods.

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This iPhone Game is Controlled with AirPods

RidePods – Race with Head is the name of the game, developed by Ali Tanis. The objective? Race along endless roads while dodging obstacles to beat your own high scores. However, you won’t do this just any way: RidePods is the first game on iPhone and iPad that allows you to drive in hands-free mode, using your AirPods. The gameplay is fairly straightforward: your trusty steed (a motorcycle) follows the left and right movements of your head.

Available for free on the App Store, this game is only compatible with AirPod models that support spatial audio, including AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and the 3^rd and 4^th generation AirPods. The game cleverly repurposes the head-tracking feature to turn the earbuds into portable motion controllers.

Our colleagues at The Verge praise the controls for being finer and more responsive than one might expect, with smooth and natural steering. For an added challenge, you can even turn off the automatic ear detection in the settings and hold your (or a) AirPod like a game controller.

However, they note that RidePods feels more like a technical demo than a fully developed game, with its random graphical bugs and a circuit that mostly resembles an endless straight line. Nonetheless, RidePods showcases the potential of earbud motion control for mobile gaming.