VR games are some of the best fitness games because they put you in a virtual world that entices you to move! These games are all on Meta Quest 2/3 as those are the headsets I own.
The Thrill of the Fight 1 & 2
Fight virtual opponents in the boxing ring. The game tracks the speed of your punches to determine how hard your hit is. This is an incredible workout and my favorite VR game (fitness or otherwise). In the thrill of the fight 2, they added multiplayer. It’s fun to box real opponents, but there are a lot of “spammers” that will flail their arms to hit you instead of actually boxing. Still, I found I was able to defeat most of them due to my experience with the game and good technique.
This game was found to have a similar metabolic impact to sprinting! It will get your heart pumping like you wouldn’t believe! This is my top recommendation if you are competitive, enjoy boxing, and/or want the most intense exercise. It’s so much fun and engaging that you won’t fully realize how hard you’re working until your hands are on your knees and you’re sucking wind between rounds.
Note: Be careful not to swing too aggressively with full extension. You can pull a muscle or hyperextend your elbow that way. Keep your hardest punches “tight” and “close” (not fully extended) to prevent injury.
Beat Saber
This is one of the most popular VR games for a reason. You can dance and saber-slash your way through songs you love. There’s ducking and dodging, too. This is a fun way to stay active.
Supernatural VR
This game is extremely fun. It involves rhythmically punching to the beat of songs you select. In addition, it places you in stunningly beautiful environments. I found the experience to be exhilarating, and uplifting enough to even feel emotional at times. The reason I stopped playing it was the monthly subscription cost of $9.99. To me, it wasn’t worth it when I have other excellent VR options like thrill of the fight and beat saber.
Again, Supernatural VR is a great experience and an excellent workout, so it may be worth the cost if it is the game to get you moving more. I could see certain people getting hooked on this experience and perhaps paying for this instead of a gym membership. I liked this game more than Beat Saber.
Pistol Whip and Superhot VR
These games are first person shooter style games that have you moving around, dodging bullets, and shooting bad guys. Both are a nice workout, and a lot of fun. Pistol Whip is a bit more intense, as it moves you through a level with lots of music, more enemies, and frequent dodging. Superhot is more of a slow motion style game, but the amount of time you spend adjusting your position or crouching behind cover makes it a good workout. Superhot is almost like yoga in how it makes you move.
Others I haven’t tried
These are some other popular VR Fitness games. I haven’t tried these yet, but will update if/when I do!
Les Mills Bodycombat, FitXR, Just Dance VR
The worst part about VR exercise is getting the headset sweaty. I always have a towel on hand to wipe it off between rounds. The upside is immersion and fun, and I highly recommend it.