Comment by gmays | Hacker News Reader

Comment by gmays | Hacker News Reader

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Have you ever played Beat Saber? It's incredibly fun and a great workout. I didn't think much about VR until I had a kid. I couldn't exactly bring an infant to the gym or on a run. So I used the headset (Oculus Quest) during naps and was instantly hooked.

VR has evolved since then since now. For example, you can connect it to stationary bikes, rowing machines, etc., compete with others, adding a whole new dimension.

Video games and fitness are multi-hundred billion-dollar industries. So why not combine the two? As someone who used to be an avid gamer but no longer has the time, I would love a way to combine my favorite hobby (gaming) with fitness, especially during the winter or other times when exercising outside is inconvenient.

It sounds fun and engaging but doesn’t the big headset impact your performance? I couldn’t imagine whaling on a bike or rower to my max ability with this sweaty headset experience. Am I missing something?

It's not really that big or heavy. The apps I'm using (FitXR, Thrill of the Fight) are also so engaging and immersive that you forget you're even wearing a headset to begin with.

The Oculus Quest is pretty light, you don't really notice it. They also have replaceable sweat pads you can add. The most intensive/tiring game I've played in terms of rapid movement was 'thrill of the fight' (boxing game) and never had any issues. Movement on bike/rower is less than that, so I don't think you'd have issues.

Yeah i’d give it a shot. I like to push myself to the almost-throwing-up level of intensity so I’m curious if it would get in my way of achieving that.

I think you'll have no trouble doing that. Boxing is tiring, and you can add leg weights/body vest weights if you want. If you want to push it, then do burpees between rounds to create your own little puke-filled exercise hell.

But the boxing adjusts to your strength level, so it gets quite challenging the further you go requiring a strategy to manage your stamina, or you flame out swinging hard for a knock-out early on. It's exhausting.

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