Developer Ali Tanis has released the first game for iPhones and iPads that’s played using Apple’s AirPods as a wearable motion controller. The RidePods – Race with Head gameplay is relatively basic – you’re just steering a motorcycle through oncoming traffic at high speeds – but instead of swiping the screen or tiling your phone, you control the bike’s movements by tilting your head from side-to-side while wearing AirPods.
The game only works with Apple’s wireless headphones that support Spatial Audio including the AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max, and the third and fourth generation AirPods. Spatial Audio relies on the accelerometer and gyroscope included in those AirPods models to track the movements of your head and adjust the position of the audio accordingly. Tanis announced the game’s release on Y Combinator and while they said they had to reverse engineer the Spatial Audio feature to make their game work, Apple does provide developers with access to headphone motion data so they can incorporate features like fitness tracking into their apps.
RidePods isn’t the most polished iOS or iPadOS game I’ve ever played. There are random graphical glitches such as the road occasionally disappearing, and from the limited amount of time I’ve spent dodging traffic it appears that you’re racing on a perfect straightaway that never curves. It feels more like a tech demo than a fully realized game, but the controls are surprisingly nuanced. I tested it with the second generation AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max and using my head to steer felt both more natural and responsive than I thought it would be.
The bike responds well to subtle movements, even when using just a single AirPod earbud. If you turn off Automatic Head or Ear Detection in your AirPods’ settings, you can even use your headphones or a single AirPods earbud as a handheld controller, but it requires a lot more finesse with your movements and definitely ups the challenge.
The app includes a setting for controlling the motorcycle’s braking and acceleration by tilting your head forwards and back, but I couldn’t detect that having any discernible effect on the bike’s speed. You can also toggle between a first-person and third-person view of the riderless motorcycle, and for those wanting to share their high scores with the world, the app includes a record function that captures both the gameplay and a selfie video of you playing in a single clip.
RidePods – Race with Head isn’t a game I’m going to return to frequently, but I can see the potential of using headphone motion controls for mobile gaming. It’s completely free, but I would definitely pay a tidy sum for a hands-free version of Solitaire that lets me move around stacks of cards using nothing but subtle head gestures and motions.