# Sphero Play vs Shadows

The clearest difference is rating: Sphero Play at 4.8 against Shadows's 3.0. Sphero Play also leads on ratings volume (37K vs 2). Shadows's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sphero Play has 37K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of Sphero Play's written reviews are positive against 75% of Shadows's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sphero Play | Shadows |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadows-amsterdam/id1384373722/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 193 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sphero, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/468699622) | [Tempete Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1340833765) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Shadows

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadows-amsterdam/id1384373722)

Enhance your board game experience with an official companion app. It offers a unique soundtrack and a customizable timer to improve gameplay atmosphere. Enjoy beautiful artwork from the board game.

**Highlights:** Unique soundtrack, Customizable timer, Board game artwork, Enhances game atmosphere

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sphero Play free?

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

### Is Shadows free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sphero Play or Shadows?

Sphero Play is rated higher. Sphero Play averages 4.8 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Shadows averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Sphero Play or Shadows have ads?

Neither Sphero Play nor Shadows shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sphero Play or Shadows?

Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, and Shadows every 2 months. Most recently, Sphero Play was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shadows on October 19, 2026.

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