A new app called STEPL maps your real-life steps into in-game movement, letting you walk through your favorite game worlds with your own two feet.
The 1.0 version of STEPL recently launched, and it's very simple. You download an app from the Microsoft Store on Windows, and you download a companion app on the Google Play Store. (No word yet on compatibility with console games, or an iOS version of the app.) Then you just start walking with your phone in your pocket, and the app will translate your movement to key presses on your PC.
So basically, as long as you're walking, your computer believes that you're pressing the 'W' key. That means that the app only works with PC games, but with functionality that simple it's compatible with basically everything on the platform.
STEPL's devs have an example video showing a number of games in action. You can Death Stranding as a literal hiking simulator, or walk all the way across Velen or Skellige in The Witcher 3.
You still need a controller or keyboard at hand to turn left and right or make use of any of your other abilities in-game, so this probably won't be the way you'll want to, say, finally do that Cyberpunk 2077 playthrough you've been meaning to get to.
But as the app's creator explains on Reddit, "this app can motivate me to work out every day, even if it's just for 15 minutes, since I play games sitting for many hours instead or forcing myself to work out."
STEPL costs $5, but you can get a three-day free trial to try it out. You can check out the official site for more info.
You can easily turn most of the best PC games into workouts now.
