Hacker News Reader

Comment by seanmcdirmid | Hacker News Reader

I used my Quest 1 a lot, and had to buy another one when it stopped working (during COVID, sigh) because it was so much a part of my daily lifestyle. The Quest 2 is even better, and I got custom prescription lenses just for my VR system that solves the problem of comfort with glasses.

But I only use my VR system for fitness, and only a few fitness oriented or active apps. It is the killer but only VR app for me.

I don't think the Go was a very good product. Facebook was right to double/triple down on the Quest, but that does leave early adopters a bit in a mess with outdated hardware (although I'm on my third quest system already).

View on HN

What VR games / apps do you use to keep in shape?

For me it's Supernatural [1]. It's a bit expensive ($15/month, paid annually), but it's worth every cent. It has the same polish of Peloton (with instructors, curated musical set, decent mobile app companion, etc), with the advantage that it gets your brain laser focused on what you're doing (as opposed to any other form of exercise, where I put my headphones on and tune out on a podcast, YT video or something).

It's similar to the feeling I get when I'm coding and in the flow: time stops, and I can't think of anything else. And this is coming from someone who always hated exercise, so it has been a pretty fantastic experience so far (~1 year). But YMMV.

ps: if interested, I have 4 free guest passes (it gives you 30 days free trial, instead of the normal 7). Email in my profile.

pps: strongly recommend Quest2 with extended battery (or counterweight [2]), so the weight is more evenly distributed in your head. I had some neck pain at first, until I replaced by the elite strap with extra battery.

[1] https://www.getsupernatural.com/

[2] https://vrbalance.net/

I’m extremely sceptical of fitness For VR, at least with the current hardware available.

- sweaty and nasty as hell on the headset - no substitute for a proper gym or run or swim, there only so much stuff you can do on the ground or punching the air, jogging on the spot - conditions you to only be active in VR, which coddles you in an environment that does not mirror real world applications of your body

Im happy to be debunked but those are my impressions. I’m very fit, frequently go to my nearby boxing gym, i just couldn’t see myself doing this

Have you tried it yet? I’m skeptical for the same reasons but telling myself to not judge something before I’ve tried it. After all, my prior should be “do other humans find this useful” and I’m probably not all that unique.

I respect your skepticism; exercise in VR is certainly not for everyone. If gym works for you and you have the time to go several times per week, great. Just sharing that VR works for me (and apparently some other hardcore users [2]).

FWIW, sweat is solved problem; there's plenty of silicone covers [1], sweat bands, etc. And the parent also mentioned of wearing glasses, but prescription lenses are widely available (I use these ones [3]).

I'm just puzzled by your comment of "doesn't mirror real world applications of your body"; as if boxing, squats and cardio in general weren't "real world" :)

[1] https://us.vrcover.com/collections/silicone-covers

[2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/getsupernatural/

[3] https://www.framesdirect.com/virtuclear-lens-inserts-for-ocu...

> I'm just puzzled by your comment of "doesn't mirror real world applications of your body"; as if boxing, squats and cardio in general weren't "real world" :)

It depends, a bit, what your fitness goals are.

If you're doing squats because you want to be able to lift 100 lbs boxes confidently, or boxing because you want to fistfight in the real world, you might be limited by the fact VR can't provide resistance; detect if you're putting enough force in; or punch back.

On the other hand, if you're looking to get your heart and lungs going, burn some calories, and generally compensate for the fact you've been sitting at a desk all day? Anything from ballet to bodybuilding will do, including VR exercise.

Oh sure, VR is a good replacement for cardio exercises. It definitely does not substitute weight lifting in general.

The hardware is the least of their problems. I had never heard of this before so I looked at the website and saw their pitch.

It basically looks like simple movements repeated over and over. Because all you have is 2 controllers. There’s no way to add complexity or load because that would just be dangerous if you can’t see your surroundings.

Seeing your surroundings generally wont be an issue as most VR rigs have external cameras. It’s that the software for such “augmented reality” isn’t there yet - the cameras today are mostly for boundary/guardian setting.

My impression of supernatural from the website is that they are showing you exotic locations, not your living room. So you won’t be seeing your surrounds during normal play. Is this wrong?

Correct; it does not use the pass-through camera, so you can't see your surroundings (in fact no Oculus app does; it's only used for safety, if it detects a human or a pet entering your space, or if you get too close to the room boundaries you've defined).

In practice, moving around is not a problem, provided you have some minimal space around you (they recommend a 7ft diameter circle). I use their workout mat [1], which is perfect to give you a sense of where you are in the room at all times. I've also successfully used for exercise in hotel rooms when travelling (a bit more challenging, depending on the layout).

[1] https://shop.getsupernatural.com/products/vr-workout-mat

A lot of fitness games don’t involve moving. One of the reasons I don’t play thrill of the fight is that I don’t really have space for it. But fitXR and best saver are stationary.

> There’s no way to add complexity or load because that would just be dangerous if you can’t see your surroundings.

Definitely don't do this in your living room with your three year old toddler around (as I learned very quickly :) ).

You have to add your own load (or "weight") to your movements, it won't work if you are just out to win the game with minimal energy expenditure (which the software won't really penalize you for).

I recently bought a Quest for fitness as well, and while I was a bit unsure, I'm fairly convinced. (For reference, I lift weights about 4 times a week. I play basketball once a week or so, but don't do much other cardio, which is the hole that I was looking to fill.)

It's worth asking what your goal is though. If it's only to burn calories, what matters is a mix of intensity and how long you do the activity. Walking for two hours burns more calories than running for 10 minutes. So through that lens, a game that has you moving only a bit, but that you will play for an hour, is a pretty good idea.

If you don't have that much time, or your goal is more health-focused in that you want to get your heart rate up, there are definitely games that make that happen. A boxing game is considered the gold standard, but there are other games that definitely make me sweat.

All in all, it's an activity I enjoy doing, and that I can do every day without leaving the house, which for my specific situation is exactly what I needed.

> - sweaty and nasty as hell on the headset

It isn't that bad with the silicon wrap around the eye piece. Keeping your headset clean is a simple wipe down after each session.

> there only so much stuff you can do on the ground or punching the air, jogging on the spot

The "game" aspect allows for long sessions of punching things in the air, dunking, and some knee movements (no running in place yet). You also have to psychologically charge your punches or your slashes to add weight to them (otherwise you aren't getting much out of it).

> which coddles you in an environment that does not mirror real world applications of your body

Real world application of my body is programming 8 hours a day. I'll take an hour of shadow boxing a day even if I won't be able to apply it at work (thankfully).

You really do have to give it a serious try though. If you aren't enthusiastic about it, it probably won't work for you, and even if you want to try it, it doesn't guarantee that it will work for you.

Thrill of the fight is an amazing game for that. I’ve collapsed in a pile of sweat after a decently short time.

Expect to have sore shoulders/back after throwing a few thousand air punches as hard as you can.

I suspect your form is bad, which you would know if you had a proper trainer.

I'm not sure how it detects how hard a punch is, but I suspect form (or the closest approximation it can detect) is a significant factor.

But honestly, it's not real boxing it's a boxing themed cardio exercise. At a purported 10-15 calories a minute it seems like a pretty good cardio workout as well.

My form is fine, it’s just that swinging as hard as you can i to air many times is going to take its toll.

Mostly FitXR. I shied away from Supernatural because they asked for a credit card off device on a website. Beat Saber is always good for some fun, though you won't sweat as much as in FitXR (but also, you can play it for longer, so its a wash if you have time). I also use Les Mills Bodycombat sometime, it has better variation in movement, but still not as intense as the FitXR content I'm used to (if I want a cooldown, its a wash between that and Beat Saber).

Reply on news.ycombinator.com