Windlands 2
Swing off of platforms with grappling hooks to move around in this single to 4-player, co-op, exploration, parkour, race, and bow-shooter combat game. Campaign against titans, get past laser traps, aggressive flying drones, and mechanical sandworms.
Fitness Potential
Grappling from leaf to outstretched leaf in this wide barren world of room scale desert and jungle will keep the arms, shoulders, and chest from resting much. Slinging arrows and taking advantage of “hook anything” mode, Speed Run Races, and collection challenges will keep your upper body pushing ahead to checkpoints and slaying titans. In combat against mech-beasts and other enemies, keep your legs moving and shifting body weight to get lower body benefits.
Developer/Publisher: Psytec Games Ltd
Release Date: September 12, 2018
Compatible with: Oculus Rift, with tracked controllers
Price: $29.99
Link: Windlands 2
Everyday Baseball
Play ball! This isn’t a run around the bases kinda baseball sim, its more of a track the ball and smack it into the stands, into the left or right field, or right down the middle. Batter up for points, the further the ball flies the more combo points players rack up.
Fitness Potential
This game works and pairs well with trackers that players can attach to a real baseball bat to make the game feel like you’re a pro player. Baseball is a game that relies on dominant arm control and movement, so players will want to switch up sides or work out their off-arm in and outside of VR to balance things out. This game comes with swing stats and has features that allow players to move the hitbox around for a challenge.
Developer/Publisher: WISECAT
Release Date: September 11, 2018
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, with tracked controllers
Price: $9.89 to $14.99
Link: Everyday Baseball
Rebound VR
Credit to: vrgamecritic
This is a virtual take on the old-school computer favorite Brick Break or the real 3-dimensional version from our childhood game closet called KnockOut. Use your racquetball, timing, and angle skills to hit and break tiles and blocks across 42 levels and increasingly challenging arenas for points.
Fitness Potential
Moving structures of blocks that spin, go up and down and disappear with a direct hit make for difficult angles to get around. This is a great game for coordination and requires some awareness of tractor beam powers that takes control of the ball with a push or a grab. Moving from side to side with a shuffle or sidestep in room scale will put the focus on players legs.
Developer/Publisher: Rotech Digital Ltd
Release Date: September 13, 2018
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, with tracked controllers
Price: $5.09 to $5.99
Link: Rebound VR
BATTLE X
Credit to: Playstation Prospect – PSVR & PS4
Train and head into full attack mode in this single, 2 player co-op, or 8v8 team multiplayer and military-style FPS game. Work together as a team to defend and take hold of soldier mutating DNA nanites with over 10 types of military grade weapons. Starship Trooper’s Casper Van Dien is one of the main voices for the game, so fans of the film will get a kick out of that.
Fitness Potential
Coordinating in co-op or in 8v8 with teammates to surround and attack enemies with gunfire will give the upper and lower body some midrange activity. Moving in room scale can really help keep legs from being stuck in one place and turns up the realism. Wearing a weighted vest can help add to the immersion by making players feel like they’re wearing armor but are really getting a resistance workout.
Developer/Publisher: Naviworks Co., Ltd.
Release Date: September 14, 2018
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, with tracked controllers
Price: $19.99
Link: BATTLE X
VRobot: VR Giant Robot Destruction Simulator
Video credit: HTC Vive
First and foremost, this is a demo, but what a demo. Play as giant mech robot and take over the city by throwing and smashing buildings, firing at drones, and using special abilities to make things get destroyed or tossed into oblivion. Unlock and summon Thor’s hammer with full flyback ability and use cool weapons like a Transformer Sword and Tractor Beams to lay waste to whatever’s around.
Fitness Potential
Throwing and punching buildings, swiping airplanes and drones out of the sky, and being destructive is a full body workout when players use room scale movement, use full arm tosses and pretend like buildings and cars are speed bags. Holding a crouch or wall squat can turn this game from a punch up game to a decent leg game when players smash against time.
Developer/Publisher: Luden.io/Nival
Release Date: September 12, 2018
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, (PS VR soon) with tracked controllers
Price: Free Demo