Last Updated on September 14, 2020 by Jake
As many of us know a little too well, exercising at home can be boring and repetitive. The best VR fitness game can be very motivating and make workouts less monotonous. With the help of motion and touch control, you can use virtual reality to improve your fitness as VR usually leads to more immersive and exciting gameplay.
Table of Contents
Reviews of the Best VR Fitness Games
There are several titles to choose from when it comes to VR fitness and exercise games. Most of these games are available on popular VR platforms such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and many more. You’ve got a lot to choose from. These games will keep you fit and entertained.
Knockout League
Knockout League is a VR boxing game. Since it includes a calorie counter, you know it’s geared towards fitness. With this counter, you know just how much calories you burn as you work out. This game will leave you breathless at the end of each session. As a boxing game, it is perfectly suited for VR systems. According to the VR Institute of Health and Exercise, for every 30 minutes of workout you can burn as such as 300 calories.
It is a great workout for the upper body conditioning and offers cardio simultaneously. There are several types of gameplay available such as Speed Bag, Grudge Match, Reflex Alley, and Focus Mitt Training.
The VR Health rating for Knockout League is 8-10 Calories/min.
The game is developed by Grab Games, and come on several platforms including Windows Mixed Reality, PS VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
Pros
- Knockout League VR game offers intense, and fast-paced workouts.
Cons
- The gameplay’s learning curve can be steep.
Holopoint
This is a first-person archery game. In this game, the objective is to shoot down samurais, demons and other targets without getting hit by incoming projectiles. With this interesting game, you get to work on both your upper and lower body.
For a more complete workout, I recommend you play the game with both arms. If anything, Holopoint is a great way to keep yourself entertained while burning calories. The intensity levels of this VR fitness game is comparable to swimming laps.
The VR Health rating for Holopoint is 6-8 Calories/min.
Holopoint is designed by Alzan Studios and is available for the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
Pros
- Holopoint offers intense and entertaining workout sessions.
Cons
- The repetitive action of shooting down targets with a bow and arrow can hurt especially during more excruciating levels.
Audioshield
As you can tell from the name, Audioshield is sound-driven. You can pick songs/playlist off YouTube or from your music library to play the game to. From there, you must defend yourself from beat orbs that fly towards you at different rates and from different locations depending on the rhythm of the music playing. As you defend yourself, you work out.
According to the VR Institute of Health and Exercise, you can burn 6 to 8 calories for every minute of gameplay, which is quite impressive. Because the game can be easily modified through a simple text settings file, there are player-made mods online which makes the game more challenging.
The VR Health rating for Audioshield is 6-8 Calories/min.
The game is developed by Dylan Fitterer, and is available on three platforms namely Windows Mixed Reality, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
Pros
- Audioshield can easily be modded to offer more challenging and tough workouts. Various mods exist, which offers varied gameplay.
- You can add your own music to the game.
- Audioshield presents fast and intense gameplay.
Cons
- When you miss a note, the notification for that can clash with that of an incoming note.
Raw Data
Raw Data is an action first-person shooter game which mixes a sci-fi environment, with challenging enemies and intuitive controls to give you an immersive gaming experience while still offering some excellent workout.
While workout may not be as intense as some other VR fitness games in this list, it is a great alternative to people searching for a different kind of gameplay. You play in the futuristic world of Eden Corp. in team or solo missions.
The VR Health rating for Raw Data is 2-4 Calories/min.
Raw Data is developed by Survios and is available on PS VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
Pros
- Raw Data is a stylish FPS with different styles of play and different characters.
Cons
- Gameplay gets repetitive after a while.
SUPERHOT VR
The interesting SUPERHOT VR is a first-person shooter VR game in which time doesn’t move as it should (as the game’s tagline goes “time moves when you move”). This allows you to strategize and plan out your attacks.
The game is fast-paced, and your health bar doesn’t regenerate like in almost every single first-person shooter game. Also, did I mention that you’re outnumbered and outgunned? This frantic VR FPS will have you sweating in no time.
The VR Health rating for Superhot is 2-4 Calories/min.
SUPERHOT VR is developed by SUPERHOT Team and is available on PlayStation VR, Windows Mixed Reality, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
Pros
- Superhot provides an exciting new take on FPS games which works amazingly well in a VR environment.
- Superhot’s gameplay is still fun even after several playthroughs.
Cons
- Figuring out how to complete a level can be puzzling.
Sparc
Sparc gives you competitive gameplay which is sure to result in a full-body workout. This fast-paced game allows you to work both your upper and lower body. And you don’t have to play the game alone. You and your friend can compete in a sport that closely resembles dodgeball.
You can hurl balls at your competitor while you dodge and block incoming throws. Balls can be ricocheted off virtual walls to get pass virtual shields making the game a little more exciting than regular dodgeball.
Sparc offers a full-body workout. It also offers a great cardio workout. The game is available for the PS VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
Pros
- The gameplay is fast and exciting.
Cons
- Sparc’s single-player content is lacking
Best VR Headsets for Exercising
To play a VR fitness game, you need a VR headset. There are many choices on the market and at various price ranges. Of course, the most popular VR headset is still the Oculus Rift, and most VR fitness games can run on this platform. However, the Oculus Rift isn’t the only VR headset out there. Let us examine some of the best headsets on the market.
Oculus Rift
- Get 6 free titles, including: Robo Recall, Luckyʼs Tale, Quill, Medium, Dead and Buried, and Toybox
- Riftʼs ultra-low-latency tracking offers unparalleled immersion
- The Oculus Touch controllers bring your hands into VR, letting you interact naturally with the virtual world
- NVIDIA GTX 1050Ti/AMD Radeon RX 470 or greater Graphics Card Required and a RAM of 8 GB+ RAM
- Windows PC and internet connection required - review recommended specs to confirm system compatibility
This is the most popular VR headset on the planet and for good reason. Not only is it sleek and comfortable, but it is also easy to set up and use. Also, it comes with a huge selection of VR games from top game developers such as Ubisoft, Insomniac Games, and many more. The VR system’s touch controllers allow you to interact with the virtual world naturally.
The Oculus Rift is sure to provide you with the best overall VR experience.
Pros
- The Oculus Rift beautifully designed.
- It is easy to set up and use
- Oculus’ library has over 1000 game titles.
Cons
- The Oculus Rift is quite costly.
HTC Vive
- FLEXIBLE PLAY AREA - Use VIVE seated, standing or in a space up to 11'5" x 11'5". SteamVR Tracking provides the most ideal experience possible, so play the way that works for you.
- FULLY IMMERSIVE - Realistic movement and actions from precise, 360-degree controller and headset tracking with realistic graphics, directional audio and HD haptic feedback in the virtual world
- POWERED BY STEAM VR - Enjoy over 1500 games for SteamVR, plus everything you love about Steam, including new releases, automatic game updates and millions of your closest friends
- PLAY SAFER - The Chaperone system warns you when you reach the boundaries of your play area and the headset's front-facing camera gives you a glimpse of the real-world when you need it
- VIVE VIDEO - An immersive, cinematic VR video player for standard, 3D, 180 and 360 degree videos. Available free on VIVEPORT and Steam.
The HTC Vive is one of the best VR headsets on the market. It is up there with the Oculus Rift. Just like the Oculus Rift, it has a large selection of games and titles. Unlike the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive comes ready room-tracking capability which is a huge plus. Also, you can access your phone without taking the headset off. The headset even has a camera so you can look at the real world without taking the headset off.
The HTC Vive is surely the best VR headset for gamers who want immersive experience right out of the box.
Pros
- The room-tracking feature is very accurate.
- The graphics are smooth.
- The controllers are easy to use.
- The HTC Vive has a large library of titles.
Cons
- Unlike the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive doesn’t come with integrated audio
Sony PlayStation VR
- Contains: PlayStation VR headset, Processor unit, PlayStation VR headset connection cable, HDMI cable, USB cable, Stereo headphones, AC power cord, AC adaptor, PlayStation VR Demo Disc
- Games Come First - With gamers in mind, PlayStation delivers a new world of unexpected gaming experiences through PlayStation VR
- Just Plug and Play - Getting into PlayStation VR couldn't be easier. Just plug the PlayStation VR headset and your PlayStation Camera into your PlayStation 4 system. Sold separately
- Advanced VR Display - Seamless visuals keep you connected to the virtual world through an expansive 5.7” OLED 1080p display running at up to 120 frames per second
- 3D Audio Technology - 3D Audio with PlayStation VR means that you'll be able to pinpoint sounds above, below, and all around you
The PS VR is certainly the best VR headset for console gaming. This VR headset is designed to be used specifically as an add-on to the PlayStation 4 console (and hopefully the PlayStation 5). PlayStation VR is easy to use and the move controllers are intuitive. Best of all, the VR game library is immense. There are countless games to play with the PlayStation VR. When it comes to fitness, it supports countless VR fitness games.
The PlayStation VR is certainly the most affordable high-end VR headset.
Pros
- The PS VR is well-designed.
- It’s easy to set up and use.
- It is quite affordable for a high-end VR option.
Cons
- The PS VR is not as visually sharp as the Oculus & the HTC Vive.
HP VR1000-100 MR Headset
- Contains: PlayStation VR headset, Processor unit, PlayStation VR headset connection cable, HDMI cable, USB cable, Stereo headphones, AC power cord, AC adaptor, PlayStation VR Demo Disc
- Games Come First - With gamers in mind, PlayStation delivers a new world of unexpected gaming experiences through PlayStation VR
- Just Plug and Play - Getting into PlayStation VR couldn't be easier. Just plug the PlayStation VR headset and your PlayStation Camera into your PlayStation 4 system. Sold separately
- Advanced VR Display - Seamless visuals keep you connected to the virtual world through an expansive 5.7” OLED 1080p display running at up to 120 frames per second
- 3D Audio Technology - 3D Audio with PlayStation VR means that you'll be able to pinpoint sounds above, below, and all around you
This HP headset is definitely the best headsets for the Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality platform. It is a very forgiving headset that can run virtual reality even on computers without standalone GPUs. It even has a headphone jack so you can plug in your own headphones. Setup is also really easy. Just plug in the headset and play.
The HP VR1000-100 MR Headset is currently the best high-end VR headset for Windows Mixed Reality.
Pros
- The HP VR1000-100 MR Headset id beautifully designed.
- It is compatible with several systems.
- It comes with interchangeable cords.
Cons
- The Windows Mixed Reality doesn’t have a large library of VR titles as other platforms, such as PS VR and Oculus, do.
Best VR Fitness Games – Wrap Up
These games reviewed are arguably the best VR fitness games on the market at the moment. They allow you to get in shape while having fun at the same time. By adding VR to your workout routine, you will start to notice changes in the way you feel and look. Along with the VR fitness games, I have reviewed the best VR headsets to play them with.
We’ve done a post previously on the best exercise video games that you should check out if you don’t have a VR headset but are still trying to get a little more exercise into your routine!
Last update on 2022-06-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
