Sphero Play vs Max
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sphero Play
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.
- Multiple drive modes (joystick, tilt, voice)
- Robot-controlled games
- Block Drive programming
- Sports-themed drive modes
- Voice control
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Drive and play games from ONE app with your Sphero Mini, Sphero 2.0, SPRK, SPRK+, BOLT, and BOLT+. Connect and control your robots with several exciting drive modes, use your robot as a controller to play games, or try out Block Drive for an intro to programming with colorful blocks. Features include: DRIVE MODES Drive your robots several ways with the Sphero Play app. Use the joystick and slingshot controls, tilt your device, or use your voice. Our sports-themed drive modes keep things fun with the ability to swing your device to "golf"*, or flick to "kick" your robot. BLOCK DRIVE PROGRAMMING Learn programming basics by controlling your robot with colorful movement and light blocks. GAMES Use your robot as a controller to shoot your way through space, race your vehicle through a tunnel avoiding obstacles and scoring points, or rotate your ball to destroy a polygon of bricks. Need robots? We know a guy. Visit sphero.com and order today. *This mode is not available on iPads.
Max
Control hardware to capture photos and record videos wirelessly. Adjust resolution settings to optimize storage for your media.
- Wireless photo and video capture
- Hardware control
- Wi-Fi protocol integration
- Resolution switching
- Media storage optimization
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This app can be used to control hardware to take photo and record video by via wifi protocol, at the same time, it can also switch resolution to save photo and video .
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sphero Play at 69% against Max's 25%. Sphero Play also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (37K vs 302). Max's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
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 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sphero Play has 37K ratings behind it against 302, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Sphero Play's written reviews are positive against 25% of Max's.
Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, Max every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sphero Play | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (37K ratings) — better | 2.5 (302 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 37K — better | 302 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 193 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sphero, Inc. | Shenzhen Joyhonest Technology Co., Ltd |
Customer experience
Sphero Play
Max
User reviews
Sphero Play
From 37K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fun and engaging app
- 👍 Great controls and customization
- 🎮 Enjoyable games and activities
- 💡 Compatibility with multiple Sphero products
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues
- 🔧 Limited features compared to older apps
- 🔋 Concerns about battery life and durability
Max
From 302 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Works well
- 💡 Great for seeing things up close
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 App crashes or freezes
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with newer devices
- 🔒 Security concerns with unsecured WiFi
Bugs and requests
Sphero Play
Reported bugs
2 issues- Joystick controls not working as expected
- Alignment issues causing unexpected movement
Requested features
4 requests- 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
Max
Reported bugs
3 issues- App not recognizing connected microscope
- Constant prompts to connect to WiFi even when connected
- Distorted or stretched image quality
Requested features
3 requests- Add image/video saving and editing capabilities
- Improve instructions and onboarding
- Add support for Bluetooth connectivity
In-app purchases
Sphero Play
No in-app purchases
Max
No in-app purchases
