RidePods: Play iOS Games Using Your AirPods

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Key Takeaways:

RidePods turns AirPods into a game controller: Players steer motorcycles by tilting their heads, using motion sensors instead of tapping or swiping on screen.
Endless runner gameplay style: The game works like a traffic-dodging endless runner, where head movements replace traditional finger gestures for steering.
Works only with sensor-enabled AirPods: Compatible models include AirPods Pro (all generations), AirPods 3, and AirPods Max that have built-in motion tracking.
Built on spatial audio hardware: RidePods reuses the AirPods’ accelerometer and gyroscope, the same system powering spatial audio, to detect and translate head tilts.
Shows potential for AirPods-based gaming: Developer Ali Tanis imagines RidePods as the start of an AirPods Arcade, hinting at broader gaming uses for Apple’s earbuds.

In a unique twist on mobile gaming, RidePods introduces a new way to engage with iOS games by turning your AirPods into a steering mechanism. Instead of the typical screen tapping or tilting your iPhone, this game has you control your in-game vehicle by tilting your head left or right, thanks to the motion sensors in your AirPods.

How It Works

Much like the popular Subway Surfers, RidePods is an endless runner game where the goal is to navigate a motorcycle through traffic, aiming to achieve the highest score possible without crashing. The catch here is that your head movements are what guide the bike, not your fingers swiping on a screen.

To jump into RidePods, you’ll need AirPods with built-in motion sensors. Supported models include the AirPods Pro (and subsequent Pro 2 and Pro 3 models), third-generation AirPods and later, or AirPods Max.

The Tech Behind It

According to The Verge, RidePods harnesses the same technology used for AirPods’ spatial audio—specifically, the accelerometer and gyroscope. Developer Ali Tanis explained that he crafted the game by reverse-engineering these spatial audio capabilities. By utilizing the API designed for headphone motion data, often used in fitness tracking, Tanis has transformed it to create an innovative gaming control method.

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In Ali Tanis’ own words:

“While developing an app with my AirPods, I noticed the spatial audio feature and wondered what else could be done with it. I thought, why not use AirPods as a motion controller? That is how I built the world’s first AirPods-controlled game. It is not just AirPods; it is a game that uses a headset as a motion controller. And today, it was approved on the App Store. Who knows, maybe this is the start of AirPods Arcade?”