The great thing about virtual reality fitness games is that they provide a workout while not really feeling like one during the moment. Sure, you are working up a sweat and raising your heart rate just like a traditional exercise session, but you are also playing a game and achieving goals along the way. This makes virtual reality workouts a great alternative to hitting the gym, and there are plenty of games that will see players melting off pounds. To help make your fitness journey as easy as possible, we here at VR Fitness Insider have come up with a list of the 10 best VR games for weight loss and burning calories. If you are playing any of these titles then you will be getting in better shape in no time!
If you’re looking to target specific body parts and want some other recommendations, check out our list of the 25 best VR fitness games 2019.
Best VR Games for Weight Loss & Burning Calories
Beat Saber
Beat Saber was one of the first VR fitness games that broke into the mainstream, so it is only fitting that it leads off our list. Beat Games’ rhythm title is a ton of fun as it has players using two katana beams to slice color-coded beats that fly at the player. Things get more complicated as they have to be cut in specific directions and players have to dodge horizontal and vertical walls (the latter is perfect for getting some squats in). While the core list of songs doesn’t have a bunch of memorable tunes, the recently released Green Day, Panic At The Disco, and Imagine Dragons DLC packs give players some familiar rock music to slice away to. We were able to burn over 10 calories per minute while testing it for our review.
Beat Saber is available on Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, and PlayStation VR. It has a fitness rating comparable to tennis by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise and was awarded our VR Fitness Game of the Year in 2018.
Bitslap
One of the most intense workouts in all of virtual reality is Bitslap. It has players punching a numbers of cubes in the order that they appear in. It seems simple at first, but it quickly becomes one of the best arm workouts in VR. A round only takes a few minutes to complete, and there are short rest periods afterward, but they quickly build up and will put your arms to the test. After a while, players stop thinking about the order that the cubes appear and just start punching them on pure reaction. It’s a fun way to workout, and we were able to burn over 13 calories per minute while testing it for our review.
Bitslap is currently available on Valve Index and HTC Vive. It has a fitness rating comparable to an elliptical by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise.
BoxVR
There are few better arm and leg-based cardio workouts than the one that BoxVR provides for players. Featuring a wide array of workouts by professional fitness instructors (and regularly updated with new ones so the workouts never become too repetitive), this rhythm-based boxing game will help you get into shape by doing a lot of cardio boxing. It is designed to be played in short spurts and is perfect for some intense 15-minute workouts. For a real-life example of how effective it can be, read about how Tyler lost 65 pounds while using the game. We were able to burn up to over 10 calories per minute in our review.
BoxVR is available on Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, and PlayStation VR. It has a fitness rating comparable to tennis by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise. It won our Best VR Cardio Fitness Game of the Year in 2018.
Creed: Rise to Glory
Based upon the popular boxing film, Creed: Rise to Glory brings all of the thrill and drama of the “Rocky” series to virtual reality. Playing as Adonis Creed, you’ll need to work on ducking punches and learning to box in order to perform well inside the boxing ring. There are plenty of familiar faces to go up against like Viktor Drago, and it is one of the most intense experiences in virtual reality. This will deliver a great core and arm workout, and since any good punch comes from the hips, so it’s an all-around exercise. We were able to burn over 10 calories per minute in our review.
Creed: Rise to Glory is available on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, and PlayStation VR. It has a fitness rating comparable to tennis by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise. It won our Best VR Boxing Fitness Game of the Year in 2018.
Holopoint
Another one of the best VR Games for weight loss is Holopoint. The archery title was one of the first great virtual reality workouts, and it remains one of the best despite being a few years old at this point. Players have to quickly dispatch of waves of ninjas that try to attack them, and it can be a great leg workout if you squat in order to dodge enemy lasers. Workouts might not last that long at first due to its intensity, but you will learn to push through adversity and fatigue over time. We were able to burn over 13 calories per minute in our review, which makes it one of the best games to play in order to burn calories.
Holopoint, and its sequel Holopoint: Chronicle, is available now on Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift. It has a fitness rating comparable to tennis by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise.
Hot Squat
Most virtual reality fitness titles revolve around the player’s arms due to how VR tracking and controlelrs work. However, Hot Squat offers up a great leg workout as it challenges players to do as many squats as possible. The enjoyable gameplay has players squatting in order to get through walls, and it is much more fun than just doing a bunch of squats at the gym. If you want to burn calories then you can’t do any better than this, and we wound up burning over 11 calories per minute in our review.
Hot Squat and its sequel is available now on Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift. It has a fitness rating comparable to tennis by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise.
Knockout League
If you’re looking for a boxing title that doesn’t take itself overly seriously then Knockout League should be right up your alley. The arcade-style boxing game is modeled after Punch-Out! and it provides a great workout despite featuring some out-there opponents like a boxing octopus. There are also some great mini-games included, so this winds up being an excellent way to burn some calories while also having plenty of laughs. For the best workout possible, we recommend checking out the in-game training alley. We were able to burn over 9 calories per minute in our review.
Knockout League is available now on Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, and PlayStation VR. It has a fitness rating comparable to rowing by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise.
Soundboxing
Another rhythm game that joins our list of the best VR games for weight loss is the excellent Soundboxing. Thanks to it using YouTube videos rather than licensed music, it has an unlimited selection of music. The intensity will depend on the tempo of the music, and it winds up being one of the best punching games available. The multiplayer leaderboards also give players a great reason to come back for more, and to get better at the title as your score raises with longer streaks and when you punch harder. This is a great alternative to a lot of the other fitness titles, especially if you want to workout to a specific soundtrack. We were able to burn over 9 calories per minute in our review.
Soundboxing is available now on Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift. It has a fitness rating comparable to tennis by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise.
Sprint Vector
Despite the name, Sprint Vector is almost entirely an arm workout and won’t do much for your legs. However, it’s a fantastic one as players have to frequently use their arms in order to move their character quickly around the in-game obstacle courses. The courses take time to master, and learning each level’s quirks and putting up faster times are a lot of fun. The multiplayer races are a real highlight, and the lively community makes it one of the most replayable titles on our list of the best VR games for weight loss. We were able to burn over 8 calories per minute in our review.
Sprint Vector is available now on HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Oculus Rift. It has a fitness rating comparable to an elliptical by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise. It won our Best VR Arm Workout Game of the Year in 2017.
Synth Riders
The final game on our list of the best VR games for weight loss and to burn calories is the excellent Synth Riders. This intense workout has players blocking projectiles and also punching notes while the game’s 31 synthwave and electro-rock songs play. While one might think it is entirely an arm workout, players also have to move around a decent amount as well. It also has a lot of style as its synth heavy music goes well with the neon aesthetic, and there is an incredible beatmap editor that allows players to listen to other music while playing. On average, we were able to burn over 8 calories per minute in our review.
Synth Riders is available now on Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, and Windows Mixed Reality. It has a fitness rating comparable to an elliptical by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise.
That does it for VR Fitness Insider’s list of the top 10 best VR games for weight loss and burning calories. With these great titles, players can melt off the pounds and have fun while doing so.
