New App Lets You Walk Around Night City With Real Steps

thegamer.com:

Games have afforded people the chance to leave the real world and step into a virtual one for decades. Most of the time though, you're not actually stepping into anything. You're sat down with a controller in your hand or at a desk with a keyboard and mouse. If you're interested in actually stepping into the games you play, well, just like pretty much everything else nowadays, there's an app for that.

It's called STEPL, and v1.0 is available to try for free right now and works with your PC. You can check out exactly what the app is and how it works in the video below (via VG247). Its sole developer shows the app working in conjunction with a variety of games. They place their phone in their pocket, presumably with the STEPL app running, and when they take steps in real-life, their characters take those same steps in the games.

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The app only appears to be compatible with PC at the moment, but you can see it being used in a variety of different games. Stroll across a Los Santos beach in GTA 5, take in the sights and get a better feel of Cyberpunk's Night City, or step into the in-depth fantasy world of The Witcher 3. If you haven't wondered what it feels like to walk in Geralt's boots, then you must not be that big a Witcher fan.

Reactions and replies to the video above on YouTube and Reddit are largely positive as people share their early experiences with STEPL, as well as some constructive criticism. Many are outlining how the app could potentially be used in conjunction with VR gaming. A long way off yet as the app has only just launched, but a terrific point to make that would negate the need to move your VR characters with controllers