Check out the new Zwift Play controller that offers fingertip control of virtual rides from your handlebar

If they are heading towards more of a Mario Cart sort of experience I can see this taking off, that would be fun, dodging Potholes , steering to avoid irate gamon faced taxi drivers, dropping energy gel wrappers etc.. 

But this is so far down my list of 'nice to haves' I can't see me easily buying this. 

FTFY

I was just about to pull the pin and order it (while still £99), the steering would have been interesting to try, the shortcuts for things like power-up may have been easier and more intuitive than the companion app, but for me it would have been the ability to navigate menus, select routes, quick bike swaps in the garage for multi-terrain courses, etc. as the laptop I run Zwift on is further away, nearer the TV and requires me to get off the bike to operate.

Then I noticed that it's not compatible with the Tacx Neo Bike (not an exclusive club, it doesn't fit any of the smart bikes except Kickr which already has steering, anything with sprint shifters or Campag thumb buttons either), so now it's back to the drawing board experimenting with bluetooth keypads and 3D printed Garmin mounts.

I appreciate the whole discussion around a bluetooth controller for an indoor training platform is very much in the "first world problems" envelope.

Update on an alternative control method that's now working for me. As I mentioned the Zwift Play won't fit on the bike, and I only wanted it for returning to the garage and navigating the menus without getting off the bike and using the laptop. 

It's a 9 key pad (£35), configured to replicate the keys I want. I made the icons out of adhesive vinyl to stick on the keycaps. They are garage, HUD toggle, graph toggle, escape, enter and 4 way cursors. 

Tried it tonight and it works great...

Off the back wrote:

What a waste of money and effort. I cannot think of anyone who woud ever want to be able to steer their road bike on Zwift. Most of us that use it are more interested in the training benefits. We just want to push the pedals and not worry about the rest. 

The only people who would be likely to find this useful are mountain bikers where the routes are much more technical, but this controller looks like its designed exclusively for road bikes. I think whoever came up with this don't understand their customer base. 

Which neatly ignores all the other things that it does that allow riders to interact with the program without needing the either the companion app or their keyboard nearby. Not to mention, early reviews are that it makes the experience for Zwifters using Apple TV significantly better than using the ATV remote control. 

Also ... sticking my neck out here ... anyone who claims to speak for "most of us" is usually mistaken. 

The newer apple tv remote - which I use is better than the old black one which was useless. If you are prepared to pay £150 for something which offers a minor convenience then go ahead. Cos thats all it really seems to offer. IF you want to steer for the game expeience, then the Elite Sterzo Smart if around half the price. surely steering with the handlebars as you would on the road is more natural and would go further to improving handling skills - if thats possible then tapping buttons

Off the back wrote:

What a waste of money and effort. I cannot think of anyone who woud ever want to be able to steer their road bike on Zwift. Most of us that use it are more interested in the training benefits. We just want to push the pedals and not worry about the rest.

The only people who would be likely to find this useful are mountain bikers where the routes are much more technical, but this controller looks like its designed exclusively for road bikes. I think whoever came up with this don't understand their customer base. 

You do know you can do the mountain bike courses, using an on-screen virtual mountain bike, while still riding a physical real-life road bike on a physical real-life trainer?

I think I'd also put forward that the average Zwift user is using Zwift for the gamification features as well as the training benefits. Other platforms that focus purely on training & fitness are available, for example, TrainerRoad. 

You do know that if mountain biking is your thing, you're more likely to own erm - a mountain bike!

I also disagree on the average subscriber usinng the gamfication. Zwift is found across more devices and is easier to just set up and go. It does offer racing, and lots of useful things that many newer users might not find in trainer road or training peaks etc. Its also cheaper than trainer road. 

Im not sure you're on the money there.  Multiple steering options already availble for Zwift - ranging from Elite Steerzo (which is much cheaper) , theres a wahoo thing, the elite rizer and most of the Smartbikes have steering buttons.

I mentioned the Sterzo as a steering thing which would make more sense than paddles. And the rizer etc, I dont think many people really own that. They might think it looks cool but after using one it really doesnt realistically simulate gradient. If anything I was terrified to get out of the saddle and move the bike around in case it fell over. 

Secret_squirrel wrote:

149?  For a glorified console controller?  They are insane.  I was expecting to scroll down and find 29.99 or 49.99. 

Insane, no, quite sensible really. Remember this will be fitted to a bike that in many cases cost multiple thousands, which is in turn fitted to an indoor trainer that likely cost £700+. They know their market!

However, there is no doubt that price rules me out - I'm not stupid enough to pay that much to make riding indoors a little less unpleasant. I'd rather spend it on a new rain jacket and ride outside instead.

joules1975 wrote:

Secret_squirrel wrote:

149?  For a glorified console controller?  They are insane.  I was expecting to scroll down and find 29.99 or 49.99. 

Insane, no, quite sensible really. Remember this will be fitted to a bike that in many cases cost multiple thousands, which is in turn fitted to an indoor trainer that likely cost £700+. They know their market!

I think you are mijudging the market.  They need/want to appeal to people with £500 bike on a sub £500 turbo (like theirs) otherwise they wont get the volume they need to make decent profits.

Zwifts biggest problem is market penetration.  Cant bridge across to the peleton mob (boom boom!). cant go low enough for the casual mob.

The real issue with this product is not the cost (edit: I retract that, just re-read that its £99 price is temporary but i do get why it would cost that much - not as much bulk units of say an Xbox controller) or the game it's being launched with. It's the issue of Zwift releasing features and then not doing anything with them.  Gamification is not for me (well, maybe, sometimes) but it could be for my son, who then be encourage to ride. Cops and Robbers, Mario Cart or orienteering games are few ideas of really fun things you could do with tech like this, but it'll never happen. Closed API, old wonky engine, monalithic coporate operating model.

Agree here. 5 years ago, Zwift  pretty much had the online cycling market sewn up. There wasn't any real alternative. Now you have RGT, wahoo x, BKool, Mywhoosh. There is a fair bit of competition and this looks like a reaction to that. But I don't think it's enough to keep them ahead of the game. Mywhoosh looks like the biggest threat with the racing it offers. Zwift could end up going down the gamer route and alienate its hardcore base if it neglects the bits that made it popular to begin with 

McVittees wrote:

. Closed API, old wonky engine, monalithic coporate operating model.

FWIW Zwift are apparently going to open up the API to everyone.

Yeah, I would probably get these if they were under £50 just for the convenience. I don't have a trainer set up permanently and have to pause workouts to deal with babies and want to give people thumbs up etc. £100-150 though. God no. Thats ridiculous.