Alex Atkinson – Page 2

Virtual Reality provides a great way to keep active and exercise, with a terrific variety of games and experiences to get you moving, burning energy, and having some fun. We all know how important it is to stay fit and healthy, but achieving it is far more difficult. VR is tackling this issue head-on, with some great VR fitness games that aim to make exercise more enjoyable. This article covers some of the best VR games and experiences for fitness that will allow you to lose weight, improve your fitness and enjoy yourself plenty too. From rhythm and dance games, instructor led workout apps, performance tracking fitness games, and high-tempo sports games, here are 15 of the best VR fitness games. 1. Les Mills Bodycombat Les Mills Bodycombat (Credit: Odders) Les Mills, the world’s leading fitness company, brings the bodycombat experience to your VR headset with an extensive range of workouts, top-quality coaching, innovative mechanics, and different intensities. The world-famous, martial arts inspired workout that is featured in thousands of gyms globally is now available in VR, with all-new punch moves and knee strikes. Les Mills Bodycombat is easily my favorite VR fitness game. I consistently burn off about 400 kcal during a half-hour workout and it leaves me feeling exhilarated and ready for anything. The workouts have a great variety of moves and it provides good feedback to encourage good technique. This VR fitness game is well-tailored for users of differing fitness and ability levels, from beginner to advanced, with 45 workout plans to help you achieve your goals. The first-class coaches on the app are amazing at motivating and pushing you through every workout, which I have found helpful and encouraging. There are 8 dreamlike environments to enjoy, and with amazing music designed to motivate, you’ll find yourself loving your workout. Each session will have you performing different punches, smashes, knees, dodges, and squats to the beat of the music, which provides a sort of rhythm game feel. All this makes for an great workout, while still feeling like you are playing a game, making it very easy to go back for another session. The inclusion of more haptic feedback and particle effects coming off the target the harder you hit really adds to the experience and encourages you to try your best. Les Mills Bodycombat is currently available for Quest 2 and Pico 4 standalone VR headsets. If you only want to pick one specific VR fitness game, this is a great option. 2. Beat Saber Beat Saber (Credit: Beat Games) Beat Saber is one of the most engaging and enjoyable VR games, and it has only grown in popularity since it was initially released. Armed with a colored lightsaber in each hand, you must slash the colored blocks that fly towards you in time to music, with each beat indicating which saber and what direction to slash the beats in. Your arms are going to get a good workout, but you'll also have to lunge from side to side and duck under obstacles too. Beat Saber has a great learning curve, with each song having a range of difficulty levels, allowing you to master the basics first, before increasing the tempo and your heart rate. Beat Saber is primarily a rhythm game, but it's always one of the first VR fitness games I recommend because it provides a great workout while doing an engaging and fun activity where you're always encouraged to play one more song to beat your high score. Beat Saber doesn't have any fitness tracking features built-in, but the engaging gameplay more than makes up for this. I know a lot of people who use VR for fitness and weight loss like to track their workouts and progress, but I would encourage you to not let this put you off. You could try wearing a fitness tracker to monitor your efforts, or visit the VR Institute of Health and Exercise for further data on how many calories you can expect to burn off while playing (approx 6.5 to 7.5 kcals per minute for a person weighing 60kg). If you need further motivation for your workout, try to rise up the global leader boards and compete against other Beat Saberists around the world in various difficulties. You can also compete in local multiplayer and challenge your friends to the ultimate showdown. Beat Saber’s unique, engaging, and energetic gameplay, along with the variety of songs, options, and difficulty levels make Beat Saber a must-play for anyone looking for the very best VR fitness games. It is available on Steam and on the Oculus store for the majority of PCVR headsets, and you can also play it in standalone mode on the Quest 2. 3. The Thrill Of The Fight The Thrill Of The Fight (Credit: Sealost Interactive) If you want a serious workout that will have your heart pounding and your body aching, The Thrill of the Fight is a perfect option. It's probably the VR game that has given me the most intense workout of any I have tried, even though it is a sports game first and a VR fitness game second. The game takes place in a boxing gym, where you must develop your skills and battle a series of opponents, each with their own unique styles and techniques. The Thill of the Fight feels authentic and down-to-earth with controls that make it feel like you are really inside the ring in a real boxing match. It is one of the best VR fitness games out there and will leave you dripping in sweat with a real sense of reward and satisfaction at the end of all your hard work, even better when you review the improvement in your performance over time. Many people have found this game pivotal in achieving their fitness goals and easier to access than going to the gym as you can play it anywhere, at any time. Doing a short workout in this game on a daily basis will have you feeling much fitter and losing weight in a short amount of time. You can expect to burn 8-10 kcal per minute while playing The Thrill of the Fight, but you'll be exhausted before long unless you pace yourself, or take a few breaks in between bouts. The best part of Thrill of the Fight is that it is enjoyable whether you are an avid boxing fan or just looking for a bit of fun. The Thrill of the Fight is a room-scale experience, and you might imagine you need quite a large room to roam about the ring, but the game does well to encourage you to remain close to the center of your playspace while you are sparring with your opponent. The only drawback I have encountered with The Thrill of the Fight is that you will be punching out repeatedly, and if you do get too close to the edge of your playspace, you can end up punching furniture or a wall, unless you have your Guardian or Chaperone boundary set up quite conservatively to keep you away from anything breakable. Once again, The Thrill of the Fight doesn't have built-in fitness tracking features, but this is a game I have to include on this list as it provides such an incredible workout and is one of my favorite VR sports games. The Thrill of the Fight is available on Steam and the Oculus Store and can be played on most PCVR headsets, as well as on Quest 2 in standalone mode. 4. Supernatural Supernatural (Credit: Within Unlimited, Inc) Supernatural is a subscription-based VR fitness game that is available for Quest, Quest 2, and Quest Pro. It allows you to exercise at home and enjoy a selection of over 500 workouts in a wide range of stunning virtual locations around the world. It combines boxing, rhythm-game activities, meditation, and stretching to help you have a complete workout. There are loads of recorded workouts with real trainers that you can follow, and a great selection of songs to enjoy as you exercise. There is a 14-day free trial, but you will need to pay a monthly charge after this, which is a little disappointing, as I would much prefer a buy-once model. Supernatural is designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience and has a diverse community of players. The workouts are varied and you have the ability to exercise at whatever intensity suits you best. There are plenty of fitness-tracking features that gamify the experience, encouraging you to keep your streak going and beat the targets you set for yourself. Enjoy full-body activation with strikes, swings, smashes, and blocks for the upper body and lunges, squats, leg lifts, and fast feet to fire up your lower body. Even better, each workout is led by a real coach who is always there to help guide your form and keep you motivated. I'm not a huge fan of the monthly subscription model, but Supernatural really is a great VR fitness game and with a 14-day free trial, it's easy to give it a try to see if you like it before committing to a subscription. 5. OhShape OhShape (Credit: Odders Lab) OhShape is a terrific way to get some exercise in VR and offers you a truly unique way of moving your whole body as you dodge obstacles, punch walls, and make fun poses to get through each map. Without even realizing it, you’ll be working out like never before and you will only want more of this incredibly immersive experience. The fun, fast-paced, rhythmic gameplay has great fitness potential, and the wall mechanics – both cut-out poses and overlapping walls that must be avoided completely – combine with dodging and punching, to provide a comprehensive range of movement. Enjoy the experience and sweat it out as you feel your fitness improving over time. Ohshape is a fantastic VR fitness game, with four difficulty levels and a lot of gameplay settings to allow you to customize the experience to your skills and see great improvement with practice. Turn on party mode to increase the competition and challenge your friends and family. Work hard to perfect level sections in practice mode and attempt the workout challenge to really test your fitness. OhShape even has custom songs support with a very easy-to-use level editor to tailor workout sessions to your needs. OhShape is a great gateway into the VR rhythm world but it’s also a real challenge for the most seasoned players. The possibilities for fun and exercise are just endless! OhShape is available on Steam, the Oculus store, and on Viveport for all PCVR headsets, and you can also play it in standalone mode on Quest 2, Pico 4, and other standalone headsets. It is also available for PlayStation VR. 6. FitXR FitXR (Credit: (FitXR) FitXR is a subscription-based VR fitness game available for Quest and Quest 2 that provides a huge on-demand library of workouts that allows you to enjoy your workout, not just the results and leaves you sweaty and satisfied after an intense fitness session. This game is a great mix of video gaming and working out with classes that are divided into three categories: boxing, dancing, and high-intensity interval training. With classes ranging in time from 5 to 35 minutes with light, medium and hard difficulty levels, there is something for all your workout needs regardless of your prior experience. If you need some social motivation, join in with a multiplayer class where you play live against up to six people as you rack up points as you hit targets and accumulate streaks. Currently over 300 classes are available to enjoy, with new classes released every day so you’ll never run out of new ways to exercise and have some fun. FitXR also has an excellent soundtrack with lively and energetic beats in very workout with the songs’ beats acting as the auditory cues for when you should move, duck, or punch. It can take a bit of time to figure out but once you get dialled into the rhythm, your scores, streaks and stoke levels will be sky high, which is immensely satisfying. Having a fitness studio in a headset is also great for frequent travellers, or those who can’t access a gym as you have a portable workout ready to go anytime, anywhere. FitXR has a 7-day free trial, but then requires a monthly subscription to support the steady stream of new workouts and classes. 7. Dance Central Dance Central (Credit: Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.) Become the life and soul of the party in this incredible VR game that immerses you in the world’s best dance club experience. Tear up the virtual dance floor with 32 custom-choreographed routines designed specifically for Dance Central and featuring chart-toppers from the 1970s through to today’s biggest hits. Then, take your newly acquired authentic moves to your nearest club to win all the dance-offs. With two difficulty levels and unique routines choreographed for each song, there’s plenty to keep you dancing all night. If you are looking for a great way to get some exercise and have fun, then Dance Central is perfect for you. The game’s multiplayer lounge allows you to meet up with friends to party, chat, and dance for hours on end. You can even compete against your friends with cross-play, on both the Oculus Quest and Rift platform in free-for-all or team dance games to see who comes out on top. The art style and visuals in this game are incredibly cool with a modern comic book twist with environments that truly make you feel as if you are in a nightclub. What sets it apart from a lot of the other VR fitness games out there is that Dance Central has a story to play through, making it ideal if you are looking for something more engaging than simply following along with exercise moves. Dance Central is available for Quest, Quest 2, and Rift VR headsets 8. X-Fitness X-Fitness (Credit: NiVision Anna Gruca) X-Fitness is a fun and innovative way to enjoy an intensive VR full-body workout with handcrafted original tracks to get you into the groove and start burning calories. Hit all the beats by moving fast and aiming precise blows with your gloves as you punch, cut, block, and dodge your way to a slimmer you. The gameplay itself is fantastic as it really makes you move around and even gets your legs working with the squats required to dodge flying obstacles. You’re given the full arsenal of rhythm games in every round you play with boxing gloves, shields and sabers are all at your disposal with the way these are implemented feeling amazing to use. If you need your own music to focus on the workout, X-Fitness is right for you as it supports your own MP3 files as well. Along with precision and timing, speed and strength are important, and you’ll find these improving as you punch as hard as you can to get the highest score. Extensive statistics show your results and progress so you can find satisfaction in the hard work you put into the game. If you want a more relaxed pace, you can match the training level to your personal skills. Warm-up or train with your favourite workout or try taking on a challenge by choosing the most intense mode to be guaranteed a worthy workout that’s also a lot of fun. X-Fitness also provides you with the ability to create your own training and going at your own pace. 9. REAKT Performance Trainer REAKT Performance Trainer (Credit: NeuroTrainer) REAKT Performance Trainer is a brain training program for the Oculus Quest, Quest 2 and Quest Pro that is designed to train your mind and body and get you into the zone. REAKT is the first virtual mental skills training system that will help improve your fitness and boost your mental skills like an elite athlete. Based on technology originally developed for athletes, REAKT will make your brain perform faster with intense training and competition modes. Stepping inside a virtual athletic training gym, prepare to push your mind and body to the limit with fast paced training and improve the skills that matter. Boost your reaction time, decision making, and hand-eye coordination with this impressive VR fitness game. Perhaps the best feature of this game is the data tracking. Get real-time feedback to map your progress over time to hone your skills and develop them beyond what you thought possible. As you play, you’ll be shown lots of information regarding your reaction times, which aspects of your visual field you are quickest to respond to, the accuracy of both hands, and more. All this means that you can better monitor actual improvements in your performance. Nothing will get by you in life or in your sport after the game trains you to stay sharp and focused for longer. I would recommend this game for someone who is a bit further down the fitness line and looking for something slightly more technical to develop skills and challenge themselves. I’ve found the weekly challenges very helpful in staying motivated and pushing training further with the potential to earn badges and trophies a great incentive. 10. Creed: Rise to Glory Creed: Rise to Glory (Credit: Survios) Creed: Rise to Glory is a magnificently crafted, highly polished, and enjoyable experience through every heart-pounding second with a storyline that keeps your workouts engaging and exciting. Take on the role of Adonis Creed and rise from undiscovered fighter to world-class boxer as you challenge your body and mind to fight toe-to-toe with the world’s top opponents. Establish your boxing legacy in this high energy boxing game within an immersive universe inspired by the Creed films. I love the fun and engaging nature of this game, that will have you working out at high intensity, but loving every minute of it. One of the best aspects of this game is phantom Melee Technology which mimics the real-life effects of throwing and taking punched in the ring. Feel the out-of-body sensation of getting knocked out or the fatigue during a long, frantic bout. Creed: Rise to Glory delivers a great core and arm workout, and as anyone who has done a bit of boxing before will know, it is a seriously intense form of all-around exercise for losing weight or becoming fitter. Player versus Player just got a whole lot more personal in Creed because you can choose your champion and set up a custom fight with a friend or find online contenders in Quick Match mode. Good controller and head tracking ensures each blow resonates where it lands, on both your opponent and you. You can play as or fight the most iconic figures from the Creed and Rocky universe in Freeplay or PvP, including classic Rocky Balboa, Ivan and Viktor Drago, and more. Choose your path to glory and find something to suit your workout needs with multiple game modes such as story-driven career, customisable Freeplay, or minigame based training. Whilst lacking a lot of fitness-tracking features, Creed: Rise to Glory provides an excellent, high-intensity workout. It's a game I keep going back to, mainly as part of a rotation of VR fitness games I use for working out. Creed: Rise to Glory is available on Steam and on the Oculus store for most PCVR headsets and is also available for Quest 2 in standalone mode. It is also available for PlayStation VR. 11. Pistol Whip Pistol Whip (Credit: Cloudhead Games, Ltd.) Inspired by revered action movies like John Wick and Equilibrium, Pistol Whip stylishly dovetails the pulse-pounding energy of the best VR rhythm games with explosive first-person shooter gameplay, whilst providing a terrific workout. Journey through a cinematic bullet hell powered by a breakneck soundtrack to become the ultimate action hero. Infiltrate a fever dream of 30 hand crafted scenes, from bank heists to android uprisings which are each uniquely designed to intense music tracks. This game is one of the most fun ways to do squats and cardio and it’ll get you breathing and sweating whilst shooting a variety of guns. What is even better is that it is one of those VR games that manages to give you a workout whilst simultaneously distracting you from the fact that you’re working out, perfect if you are struggling with your exercise motivation. Enjoy the endless replayability of this game with the Style system, featuring five weapon types and a growing selection of modifiers to ensure your workout is never dull. Party mode allows action heroes to challenge each other and see whether their score falls on local Party Mode leaderboards. The constant momentum and comfort-first design allow non-stop speed without the fear of motion sickness. No description of the game can actually prepare you for how cool the game actually is to play, and it is one that I strongly recommend trying out if you’re looking for a workout experience that differs from the norm. With accessible, lower difficulty levels to get you started, you’ll soon become addicted to the world of Pistol Whip and morph into an expert in no time. Pistol Whip is available on Steam and the Oculus store for PC VR headsets, and can also be palyed in standalone mode on Quest 2, Quest and Quest Pro. It is also available on PlayStation VR. 12. BoxVR BoxVR (Credit: FitXR) BoxVR is a boxing-focused VR fitness game that promises to bring the fun back into exercise as you jab, weave and uppercut your way through workouts in time to adrenaline-pumping music. This award-winning VR fitness game is well deserving of its praise with over 20 hours of fun workouts that are choreographed by leading fitness instructors. Specifically designed to destroy calories in the most entertaining way ever, this game is a really good choice for those looking to lose weight or simply improve their general fitness. BoxVR is suitable for experts and novices alike and whatever your fitness level, you can put your VR headset on and enjoy a great workout almost anywhere. One of the best features of this game is that it records every workout. It is easy to track your progress by seeing how many calories you have burnt and it can become a valuable part of your fitness plan. After setting your goals for weight loss or fitness, you can enjoy the satisfaction of seeing your progress day by day. There is something for everyone on BoxVR with a good variety of music tracks to train to, ranging from rock to pop, dance to hip-hop. If you are in the mood for something a bit different, then BoxVR is perfect for you as it allows you to create your own workout with Workout Generator. BoxVR is available to buy on Steam for PCVR headsets and also on the Oculus store for Rift headsets. It is not possible to play BoxVR on Quest 2 in standalone mode. 13. VZfit VZfit (Credit: VirZOOM, Inc.) VZfit is an exercise game for the Meta Quest 2, Quest, and Quest Pro that can be played while either standing, or on a stationary bike by pairing with a cadence senor. Use the power of VR to stay in shape as you to ride to all corners of the world from the snow-capped Italian Alps to the sun kissed coast of Oahu and experience our planet’s beauty over 10 million miles of roads through Google Street View. Visit your hometown, your favourite vacation spot or explore a new destination. Whether you want to get a full-body cardio workout or hop on your stationary bike, the coaches on this game have you covered with workouts to suit all needs. Connect your bike with a cadence sensor and your pedalling will take you across the world. This game is the ultimate family friendly experience, with the ability for everyone using a Quest headset to track their own status and progress. One downside is that it is only available for Meta/Oculus headsets, so those with other VR headsets are out of luck with this one. An issue I’ve had with the game is that the developers can only do so much with the 2D images from Google and therefore some rides render much better than others. The ones highlighted and recommended by the app look much cleaner and clearer, but the user-generated rides are often warped. However, the unique concept of the game shines through and it’s a fantastic and portable way to enjoy exercise that’s a bit more interesting than the norm. 14. Synth Riders Synth Riders (Credit: Kluge Interactive) Synth Riders is a VR dance-action rhythm game that is also a great VR fitness app that provides a great workout and loads of fun. Let the music move you as you catch notes, ride the rails, and dodge obstacles in a unique combination of freestyle dancing and fitness workout that’ll allow you to burn calories while having tons of fun at the same time. Play, dance and exercise to over 58 included tracks with a huge variety of gameplay modifiers and styles including spin and spiral modes which will always leave you coming back for more. You can even meet up to 10 friends in cross-platform multiplayer and socialise whilst working out and enjoying the immersive gameplay. This game is perfect for working out, allowing you to burn calories in an engaging combination of freestyle dance and fitness, not to mention the ability to track your calories with in-game virtual fitness watch. A huge perk of Synth Riders is how easy it is to load custom beatmaps/songs so you can play more mainstream songs you may be more familiar with. Just do an internet search for custom Synth Rider beatmaps to elevate your own experience. The movements used in playing this game really feel like dancing compared to other similar games, and the gameplay is easy to understand and very intuitive, which makes it perfect if you are just getting into VR and need somewhere to start. Synth Riders is available on Steam and Viveport for PCVR headsets, the Oculus store for Quest and Rift headsets, and also for PlayStation VR. 15. Audio Trip Audio Trip (Credit: Kinemotik Studios) Dance to the rhythm and immerse yourself into the world of Audio Trip as you catch gems, ride ribbons, smash drums, and dodge barriers, moving your body to burn calories and enjoy exercising. With 84 levels across 21 songs, plus support for custom songs, express yourself through movement and unleash the inner dancer or fitness fanatic inside you. Despite the soundtrack being small, it is amazing and very good for a proper workout. With cardio mode, plus beginner, regular and expert difficulties, there is something for everyone to get started and lots of opportunity to progress as you improve your skills. Playlists allow you to pick your songs and make your workout regime and you can even create your own custom choreography with the in-VR choreography editor. Audio Trip is truly a great VR fitness game and is one of the very few games that can induce a flow state from the dancing choreography. Prepare to lunge, squat, and stretch high as you ride the artistry that is this game’s choreography through song after song. I’ve found that Audio Trip balances everything really well, with environments that are interesting yet not distracting, well developed dance routines that really make you move and incredibly catchy songs, all without feeling like you are in a boring everyday workout class. If you like Beat Saber or Synth Riders, I would strongly recommend giving Audio Trip a go as I have found that it does a great job of combining rhythm and dance to create one of the most enjoyable VR fitness games. Audio Trip is available on Steam and Viveport for PCVR headsets, on the Oculus Store for Quest 2, Quest Pro, Quest, and Rift headsets.