After exploring the VR games you can play to achieve a good workout, now we're back with the second part of our "How to Get Fit With VR Games" guide. This time we talk hardware. And in many cases - very, very expensive hardware.
This product looks a lot like an exercise bike and doesn’t include a VR headset so you’ll have to have one in advance in order to use it. With it you can ride a horse (the faster you’re pedaling, the faster it runs) or drive a race car, but, oddly enough, there was no bike simulator. For now you’ll need HTC Vive, PSVR, or Oculus Rift to use it but support for Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream is promised for this year.
It’s probably the most discussed VR workout station, and maybe that’s why it’s also the most controversial. It uses your whole body and requires you to keep your balance while you fly (or dive into deep water) with your VR headset, and at first it’s really hard to use. Getting a good hold of it requires some training but ultimately stresses your whole body, and especially your abs and shoulders. But no matter how intense the burn in your muscles is, it might burn your pocket a bit more. The whole setup consists of four parts – the machine itself, VR headset, a good desktop PC, and a smartphone. It’s a bit too complex for the average user but once you are on it and fly through different beautiful landscapes, you might feel it’s worth the hassle.
If you have some extra $12,000 you're wondering where to spend, Holofit is your thing. Yes, it's a lot. Yes, it's insanely expensive. But this includes the whole system - a rowing machine controller, an HTC Vive headset, as well as the software for your VR fitness experience. Of course, at the size of a normal rower (or a bike system), you can always replace with... well, a normal rower, but where's the fun in that? Isn't this exactly why you're reading this article?
Now that's a proper bike simulator! You are on a bike (stationary one, of course) in real life, and you're on a bike in your VR headset. If you want to really confuse your brain (in a fun way) - Widerun will help you. Biking through different landscapes is a lot more fun than biking while watching in one point at the gym. Of course, you can always go biking for real, but then you'll have to keep in mind the weather, the traffic, and all the dangers of real biking. Widerun pretty much eliminates them all.
Here's something completely different. Afraid to jump off a plane? Yes? How about jumping off a virtual one? This is the best way (so far) to experience skydiving while trying to pass through the checkpoints spread across the landscape. It looks weird enough so you might think twice before installing it in your home but if you're ready to do anything in order to get a VR workout - experiencing skydiving might be a great option for you.
Or maybe you just want to skip the hardware part and stick to software? If yes, then this is the article for you!
