RidePods Lets You Steer iPhone Game With AirPods

RidePods — Race with Head is a free iOS and iPadOS motorcycle racing game that uses Apple AirPods’ built‑in accelerometer and gyroscope so players steer by tilting their head left and right and can control acceleration and braking by moving their head forward and back. Developer Ali Tanis says he reverse‑engineered Apple’s Spatial Audio head‑tracking to build the app, though Apple also exposes a headphone motion API intended for fitness. The title supports Spatial Audio–capable models including AirPods Pro (including Pro 2/3), AirPods Max, and third‑ and fourth‑generation AirPods, and can respond to a single earbud. Reviewers describe the hands‑free controls as intuitive and responsive but call the game more a tech demo due to graphical glitches (such as the road disappearing) and an endless, never‑turning straightaway. RidePods is available on the App Store and its approval highlights new possibilities for AirPods motion tracking in gaming, though wider adoption and more polished experiences remain pending.