Have you ever been playing on your PC and wondered what it would be like to actually walk around the fantastical worlds of Night City in Cyberpunk or Los Santos in GTA V for yourself? To leave the WASD keys or PS4 pad behind and explore with your own two feet? With the STEPL Mobile app, that dream might not be too far away.
Posted on r/games recently by the solo developer behind STEPL, you can see a mysterious pair of legs move up and down in place and cause characters in Cyberpunk 2077, GTA V, and Horizon: Forbidden West to start wandering around! With a controller in one hand handling the right analogue stick, and a phone in your pocket, it looks as though the app lets you step in the shoes of your favourite characters (granted it’s not something like a racing game, of course).
Jumping into the video description of Youtube, it looks as though STEPL is intended as a workout tool: “STEPL is a good workout motivator if you play sitting for many hours instead of walking or forcing yourself to work out – It lets you get fit while gaming. Stick your phone in your pocket, and when you take steps in place your character will also take steps forward.” This is reflected on the official website too, which champions goals such as saving time for users, helping with exercise motivation, and helping people to live longer.
All in all it’s a cool app that, while obviously intended as an exercise aid, could be a great component for that mystical dream of total gaming immersion that’s been stuck in the minds of nerds for decades now. Already in the comments, both on Youtube and Reddit, people are excited at the concept of combining STEPL with other hardware like VR headsets in pursuit of that ultimate experience.
Does something like STEPL sound exciting to you? What games would you like to explore in your own two shoes? Or do you not see the appeal of breaking a sweat during your limited gaming R&R sessions? Let us know below!
