What you need to know
- Monument Valley developers, ustwo Studios, have created a Motion Sense game called Headed South for the Pixel 4.
- You play as a bird named Soli trying to rescue other birds from a storm using unique motion gestures for each one.
- Pokémon has also gotten in on the Motion Sense fun with a demo app called Pokémon Wave Hello.
At the Made by Google event on October 15, Google showed off some of its latest hardware, including the Pixel 4 and 4 XL. One of the most intriguing new features on the Pixel 4 is the Soli chip which allows you to control the phone with Motion Sense gestures.
For example, Motion Sense will allow you to do many common tasks such as silencing alarms, dismissing calls, and skipping tracks when listening to music. Beyond these normal day to day tasks, the Soli radar technology will also be used for more fun endeavors, such as gaming.
The first true Motion Sense game comes to us from the acclaimed developers at ustwo Studios, most known for their stunning puzzle game Monument Valley (opens in new tab).
The game is called Headed South (opens in new tab), and according to the description, you play as a bird named Soli on a mission to rescue wild birds from a storm. In order to help rescue the birds, you'll have to catch up to them using unique gestures for each one.
A collaboration between Google and ustwo Studios, Headed South is an experience that introduces Google's new Quick Gestures to users in a playful and engaging way.Driven by Motion Sense, Quick Gestures introduce a new paradigm of interaction that changes the way users interact with their devices.Headed South takes you on a journey from the forest-covered scenery of the North to the warm, secluded shores of the South in a fantasy landscape. You play as Soli, a unique bird on a mission to rescue unsuspecting wild birds from a dark, approaching storm.Each bird is unique and requires special gestures to catch up to them in flight. Through Soli's journey, players will learn, practice, and master the use of Quick Gestures on the Pixel 4.Master the gestures and flight controls in order to save the birds and escape the storm!
As you play, you'll unlock new levels and challenge boss birds. Plus, knowing ustwo Studio's reputation, you can expect the world to be stunning with a beautiful soundtrack. It's nice to see that Google's Motion Sense technology will be used for more than rejecting calls and skipping music tracks. Hopefully, we see more games in the future, but launching with a game from ustwo is a wonderful start.
The motion sensing phone
Google's latest and greatest phone, the Pixel 4, comes with lots of tech packed into one impressive smartphone. One of the most intriguing features is the Soli sensor which allows you to interact with your phone hands-free with motion gestures.
