Sphero Play vs Red Thunder Remote
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.
Red Thunder Remote
This app provides a Bluetooth controller for a specific RC car toy, offering intuitive driving and interactive 'smart reactions'. It allows users to control lights, monitor battery, and customize animations with a Pro upgrade.
- Intuitive touch controls
- Smart car reactions to events
- Light and battery control
- MFi and Bluetooth controller support
- Customizable animations
- Animation database export/import
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Your favorite RC car lost its original app. Red Thunder Remote brings driving, sounds and expressive movements back to compatible Sphero Ultimate Lightning McQueen cars. DRIVE AND INTERACT • Touch steering and throttle controls that follow where your fingers land. • Portrait and landscape layouts, including iPad. • Headlight and taillight controls, battery readings, volume and idle chatter settings. • Automatic reactions to driving, touch, movement and connection events. KEEP McQUEEN READY • Check his software, audio files and animation data from Diagnostics. • Follow a guided restore when an installation needs attention. • Download English restore audio when needed and reuse the verified image later. • Clear power requirements, consent, progress and Wi-Fi prompts during restores. RED THUNDER PRO — ONE-TIME PURCHASE • Drive with a compatible game controller. • Customize animation names, favorites and event reactions. • Build Studio scenes with editable pauses and playlists. • Organize scenes, movies and playlists in Library. • Discover and share community creations, with reporting and creator-blocking controls. • Follow movie reaction schedules in a full-screen player with manual sync controls. Movie video and sound are not included. • Chat with McQueen on supported devices. Conversation text stays on your device unless you choose to share feedback. NO CAR NEARBY? Explore the interface and take the guided tour before connecting compatible hardware. Driving and physical reactions require a car. A compatible Sphero Ultimate Lightning McQueen is required for hardware features. Keep the car plugged in during restores; English audio installation can take 45–75 minutes. The first audio download requires internet. Chat availability depends on the device. Red Thunder Remote is an independent app and is not affiliated with Sphero, Disney or Pixar.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sphero Play at none against Red Thunder Remote's 1. Sphero Play also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (37K vs 10). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Red Thunder Remote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sphero Play asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sphero Play holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sphero Play has 37K ratings behind it against 10, 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 Red Thunder Remote's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, Red Thunder Remote every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sphero Play | Red Thunder Remote |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (37K ratings) — better | 4.4 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 37K — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 193 MB | 84 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sphero, Inc. | Caleb Jones |
Customer experience
Sphero Play
Red Thunder Remote
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
Red Thunder Remote
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sphero Play
No in-app purchases
Red Thunder Remote
- Red Thunder Pro$2.99
Questions
Is Sphero Play free?
Is Red Thunder Remote free?
Which has better reviews, Sphero Play or Red Thunder Remote?
Do Sphero Play or Red Thunder Remote have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sphero Play or Red Thunder Remote?
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