But other notable ones include Synth Riders, FitXR, OhShape, Pistol Whip, Thrill of the Fight, and (maybe) Gorilla Tag. And this list is far from exhaustive.
VR is pretty good for fitness just because it can make exercising more interesting, comparable to sports without the need to coordinate with other people (and it's easy to do inside your house, if you have at least a 2m x 2m open space). Major downsides would be having that space available and sweat inside the headset.
https://www.meta.com/us/quest/accessories/quest-3-silicone-f...
https://www.meta.com/en-us/help/quest/articles/in-vr-experie...
It turned out the killer Apple Watch feature was fitness, and I don’t see why it couldn’t have been here.
It was fun for a few minutes but not really usable for serious exercise:
- It's heavy and annoying (and this apple product seems even bulkier and heavier). The cable situation is also not great, you need a lightweight cable and ceiling suspension to keep it out of the way, but this is solvable.
- Exercise means you get sweaty. Can't wipe your brow and you have a wet headset on your face.
- You can't see your body and maintain proper form. The VR environment itself is also distracting if you turn your head around to look at stuff moving there.
I much prefer just to have my phone or tablet in fixed place in front of me to watch youtube or some movie.
I really don't think that's the best use-case for VR - if you're doing some kind of virtual rowing, a flat screen is going to offer most of the experience with none of the downsides. VR fitness is really about games that are fun in their own right and happen to be physically active. There's a big cohort of people who hate exercise and would never set foot in a gym, but who will happily spend an hour at their aerobic threshold because they're playing a fun game.
The reason running outside is nicer than on the treadmill is not that you get to look at nicer images. You get to smell fresh air and feel the wind on your body, you get to sometimes interact with people, you get to feel various textures under your feet, you get to move your bodies in more ways as you turn left and right etc.
Rowing outside is even more different, as you get the feel of the water currents and water splashes as well.
VR can mimic none of these things, and it comes with the massive downside of a sweaty face that you can't wipe away.