In this post, we’ll discuss the best VR workout games, according to Reddit.
VR subreddits are a great source to get the latest news and some great suggestions on worthwhile virtual reality experiences.
We checked out a variety of titles suggested by Redditors and we’ve compiled a list of our favorite ones below.
Let’s get into it.
Best VR Workout Games According to Redditors – Top 5 Picks
Thrill of the Fight
If you’re someone that wants an intense workout in the form of boxing training as well as well-simulated matches, this game is worth considering.
Everyone says it’s the most realistic VR version of boxing currently available commercially. Fighting is essentially the same as in real life. The only difference is that the force of your punches is measured through algorithms inside the VR game.
There’s a lot to learn about it.
You get a ton of depth in the fighting mechanics as you have target weak spots with precision blows while also maintaining your own defense.
When you start out, you can use the training dummy to practice your movement as well as your strikes. It has labeled weak points on it for your reference and you can practice landing precision blows on it.
It has a lot of content to offer with nine different main opponents, as well as a sparring partner. You even get a few bonus Halloween opponents. All of them have varying difficulties so you can make it your mission to beat every single one.
All of this results in a super realistic but also super intense workout session that’ll surely make you sore the first time you play it.
After you get used to it, you can slowly increase the difficulty to continue getting a challenge.
- Synth Riders
Synth Riders is the ultimate package if you’re someone that has trouble maintaining focus when they’re working out. Oftentimes, working out can just be plain boring and that’s why many people have trouble doing it on a regular basis.
That’s where Synth Riders shines.
It offers a complete package where you can listen to super fun and adrenaline-pumping music as you conduct your exercise routines. The levels are designed in a way where you feel like you’re moving to the music rather than smashing obstacles on the beat.
The great thing about it is that while it’s super fun to just groove to music if you’d like to work out more seriously, it can also keep track of your calories.
Also, to answer the question that’s on everybody’s minds:
Yes, it supports custom songs.
The great thing about it is that it also comes with a level editor. With a lot of rhythm games like these that support custom songs, you typically get a fairly generic level when you upload them into the game.
However, with the level editor, you get the freedom to edit it so that you can make it exactly the way you want it to be.
Beat Saber
Speaking of rhythm games, Beat Saber is another super popular rhythm game that can easily give you a super intense workout simultaneously.
You’re equipped with two lightsabers in each hand and your goal is to slash the correctly colored boxes while avoiding obstacles. Since it’s a rhythm game, you do all of this on the beat to whatever song is playing in the background.
While Beat Saber may sound like it’s fairly easy, you’d be surprised at how challenging it can be. Not only that, but you’ll often find yourself having trouble mastering your favorite tracks, even.
While mastering every level is hard, we can’t say it’s not fun. In fact, the journey to mastering every level is really what makes this game super special.
Furthermore, it has a super active and dedicated community which means that new tracks are being added to the game every single day.
It should be noted, however, that we think that while the base game itself is pretty reasonably priced, the DLCs are not. Oftentimes, you have to pay a decent chunk of cash just to get access to five or six songs.
There’s a lot to choose from.
The versatility of Beat Saber can’t be understated, however. It offers a wide variety of tracks that allows you to determine what difficulty you want your exercise routine to be. Then, as you become more proficient, you can start opting for more fast-paced tracks.
Until You Fall
Until You Fall is a super fast-paced roguelike that will have you performing insane moves to keep yourself alive. We would’ve liked to say that the action keeps you on the edge of your seat but since it’s VR, it’ll keep you on the edge of your toes.
It takes all the great elements of the best rogue-likes.
Not only does it take inspiration from some of the best within its genre but it also reconstructs them with virtual reality in mind. That is clearly seen when you try out its controls which are incredibly responsive and the moves are satisfying to perform.
The fact that you slowly get access to upgradable gear, powerups and new weapons keeps the game fresh. It also rewards you for going the extra mile and checking out every nook and cranny.
The combat system can definitely be buggy at times but overall, it’s a super fun system that inspires you to move around and get a good workout.
Supernatural
Supernatural is super versatile, which is why we think it can appeal to all sorts of individuals that desire different types of workout routines.
Not only can it give you a great workout but the title itself offers you a super unique experience within VR that sets it apart from its contemporaries.
First of all, it allows you to choose from many different landscapes. These landscapes include real locations on earth as well as fictional spaces. You also get spaces that you can’t get to normally such as the clouds, Mars, the moon and more.
You’re guided by a training expert throughout the session.
Once you’re settled in a particular landscape, the goal is to smash obstacles and wiggle your way through objects that block you. Plus, you do all of that to the rhythm of some of your favorite songs.
Similar to Beat Saber, Supernatural also allows these songs to be anything that you wish them to be.
This, coupled with the fact that you can choose from a variety of different environments really make this title a great one to get a workout going. It’s super fun, it’s highly versatile and you can choose from many different intensities depending on how fast or slow the song is.
VR Workout Games – Buyers’ Guide
There are a number of factors that consumers must think about before they buy a VR game. If you intend to buy a VR title specifically for getting a workout, then that adds another factor to keep in mind.
If you go out and buy a game without doing any research and it’s not what you were looking for, you only have yourself to blame.
Some factors to take into account before you buy a VR game include:
Price
Of course, just like with any other product you intend to buy, you must consider your budget. Some VR titles are more expensive than others, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re overpriced.
Expensive VR titles usually have more to offer.
This could be in terms of quality or quantity. Some titles have a large amount of content that can keep you entertained for a long time. In that case, their high price is definitely justified.
Other VR titles may not have a lot of content to offer, but the content they do have to offer may be on a much higher standard than others in the industry.
In either case, it’s up to you to decide whether or not a highly priced VR title is worth your money or not.
The VR titles you should absolutely avoid at all costs are the ones that are highly priced for no apparent reason. They may not be that great in terms of quality and they may not even be that long.
Make sure you read user reviews and get a sense of what a title is like before you buy it.
Responsiveness and User-Friendliness
People often confuse “user-friendliness” and “difficulty” when talking about video games.
Just because a game is user-friendly does not mean that it’s necessarily easy. A game being user-friendly simply means that it has a streamlined user experience. Examples of how developers can achieve this are responsive controls, a nice UI and clear game mechanics.
Those mechanics don’t necessarily need to be easy to execute but users should be able to know what they must do to execute them.
Games with frustrating controls are not a fun time.
This is especially true for VR titles. When you’re trying to work out in a VR game, you want all your focus to go on your exercise. It really hurts the flow of your workout session if you have to fix a technical issue or because you don’t know what the game wants you to do.
Nausea and Motion Sickness
VR is just an environment that can cause many people to be nauseous or motion sick when they experience it.
It’s difficult to know whether or not a certain VR game will make you nauseous or not because the effect can be different from person to person. One person may not feel nauseous at all while, for somebody else, it might be unplayable.
If you see many reviewers talking about nausea issues with a VR game, avoid it.
A good way to get an idea of whether or not a certain VR game will make you nauseous is to check out its gameplay footage online. Platforms such as Youtube will always have gameplay footage for any upcoming titles.
If you’re prone to motion sickness because of a certain VR game, chances are that you might feel nauseous while watching the video for it. If that happens, you know that that’s a game you won’t be able to play and have a good time with.
Amount of Content and Replayability Value
With VR workout games, there’s a chance that you might not get a ton of content. However, there do exist some titles out there that will indeed give you a great bang for your buck.
Still, though, since you intend to work out with those particular titles, there’s a high chance that you’ll use the same routines several times.
However, it’s still a good idea to opt for games that provide you with as much content as possible. When it comes to VR workout games, make sure to check out how many different workout routines, exercises, and modes a particular game offers.
Not only that but many games have different routines sorted by how difficult they are, how much time they take, what muscles they build, etc.
These are all categories you must think about and ideally, opt for a title that offers you with as much versatility as possible.
Platform Compatibility
This is something we feel should be fairly obvious but many people still miss out on taking into account.
Look for games that are supported by the platform you have.
If you have a PS VR Headset, look on the Playstation Store. Similarly, if you have an Oculus, then look at the Oculus Store.
Make sure to check the platforms that a game is available on first before you look at anything else. Obviously, if you don’t have the system that the game needs to run on, then you won’t be able to play it in any case.
We’ve even heard of individuals that went ahead and bought games without checking which platform they were for. Then, you’ll have to waste time and effort looking for a refund.
Genre
If we talk in a broader sense, obviously, the genres you enjoy matter and you want to look for games within those genres.
When it comes to workout games, you have to think about what type of workout routines you want. Do you want meditative games or games that promote yoga routines? Or do you want something more intense?
These are all questions you must ask so that you can figure out what your needs are from the VR game in terms of your workout. Once you figure that out, you can start browsing the market for that perfect VR workout game.
Best VR Workout Games According to Reddit – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are VR Fitness Games Actually Effective?
Yes, there are many studies that prove that VR can be highly effective at burning calories and establishing a regular workout routine.
They are particularly effective because they can be so fun that you often forget that you’re even working out.
How Many Calories does a VR Session Typically Burn?
Obviously, the number of calories you burn can vary wildly depending on how intense the workout is, how long you play it for, how engaged you are, etc.
However, typically you can burn anywhere between 13 calories per minute to 5 calories per minute.
Can VR Damage My Eyes?
No. VR does not damage your eyes or cause any type of negative consequences for your overall vision.
That being said, if you spend too much time in VR, you can develop eye strain issues. VR technology hasn’t evolved enough to mitigate that issue, at least not for now. Hence, you should take regular breaks between sessions to ensure you don’t have eye strain.
Can I Track My VR Workout Routine?
Depending on the VR fitness game that you buy, you may or may not have a way to track your workout as well as the number of calories you burn per session.
When it comes to workout games, it’s usually a good idea to look at reviews and identify a game that allows you to keep track of such useful statistics.
How Long Should My VR Sessions be?
As we briefly discussed in a previous question, long VR sessions can lead to eye strain issues as well as motion sickness and nausea issues.
To prevent them from happening, it’s a good idea to take regular breaks in between your sessions. Usually, we recommend a 15-minute break after every half hour. However, if you think you can go longer, the maximum we’d recommend is a 1-hour session.
Conclusion
With that, we’re at the conclusion of our post for the best VR workout games, according to Reddit.
In the end, the realism coupled with the deep mechanics of Thrill of the Fight really won us over. It impressed us to no end, and we found ourselves coming back to it time and time again because the gameplay was the perfect blend of challenging and addictive.
Which VR game do you play to work out? Let us know in the comments section below.