# Hover Racer vs Sphero Play

The clearest difference is rating: Sphero Play at 4.8 against Hover Racer's 3.6. Sphero Play also leads on ratings volume (37K vs 31) and review sentiment (69% vs 50%). Hover Racer's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Sphero Play holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sphero Play has 37K ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Hover Racer's written reviews are positive against 69% of Sphero Play's.

Hover Racer ships an update fortnightly, Sphero Play every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hover Racer | Sphero Play |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hover-racer/id1134375693/reviews) | **[4.8 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 31 | **37K** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **69.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 188 MB | 193 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Skyrocket, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/726238608) | [Sphero, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/468699622) |

## What reviewers say

### Hover Racer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hover-racer/id1134375693)

Engage in high-flying drone races and battles with friends or solo. Customize courses, complete challenges, and upgrade your drone for competitive gameplay. Experience endless possibilities in this action-packed entertainment app.

**Highlights:** Competitive drone racing and battles, Single player challenges, races, and time trials, Multiplayer modes for head-to-head or team play, Co-Op mode with VR missile battles, Course customization with beacons and objects, Weapon and defense upgrades

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sphero Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522)

Control and play with various Sphero robots using a single application. Explore multiple drive modes, engage in robot-controlled games, and learn basic programming through a block-based interface.

**Highlights:** Multiple drive modes (joystick, tilt, voice), Robot-controlled games, Block Drive programming, Sports-themed drive modes, Voice control

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and engaging app
- 👍 Great controls and customization
- 🎮 Enjoyable games and activities
- 💡 Compatibility with multiple Sphero products

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues
- 🔧 Limited features compared to older apps
- 🔋 Concerns about battery life and durability

**Reported bugs**

- Joystick controls not working as expected
- Alignment issues causing unexpected movement

**Requested features**

- More games and activities
- Support for additional Sphero products (e.g. Ollie, BB-8)
- Improved aiming and control precision
- Camera integration to see the Sphero's view


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hover Racer free?

Hover Racer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sphero Play free?

Sphero Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hover Racer or Sphero Play?

Sphero Play is rated higher. Hover Racer averages 3.6 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while Sphero Play averages 4.8 from 37K ratings.

### Do Hover Racer or Sphero Play have ads?

Neither Hover Racer nor Sphero Play shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hover Racer or Sphero Play?

Hover Racer ships an update fortnightly, and Sphero Play every 2 months. Most recently, Hover Racer was updated on October 22, 2026 and Sphero Play on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*