During our last VR Game Roundup, there were several interesting games highlighted including the Oculus Quest port of Holopoint and a Russian roulette simulator. This week’s VR Game Roundup isn’t the busiest week but there are plenty of interesting titles to look at. Headlining this week is an informative title about the human body, a boxercise title, and several other new releases.
Void Racer: Extreme
Kicking off this week’s VR Game Roundup is Void Racer: Extreme, which is now available on Oculus Quest. This racer has WipEout-style visuals and will have you going through tracks at high speeds. It’s also very Tron-like as you are on an electronic bike and the stages are quite trippy.
Fitness Potential
Sadly, there isn’t much of a workout to be had here. This game can be played while sitting and while the bike leaning around corners encourages some movement, just a slight turn of the head will do just fine. It’s a cool racing title, but don’t go into it expecting an exercise game.
Developer and Publisher: Coplanar Games
Release Date: September 17, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Quest
Price: $9.99
Link: Oculus Store
Punchout: Music
The game in this week’s VR Game Roundup with the most fitness potential is easily Punchout: Music. Strangely exclusive to the HTC Vive, this early access title has players boxercising to music. It only has seven levels currently, but updates over time will add a full campaign over the next year.
Fitness Potential
You can definitely get a solid arm workout in Punchout: Music. Sadly, it is lacking in terms of content, so you might want to go look at other arm workouts currently available. This is certainly a game to keep an eye out as it develops, though, and can currently be purchased at a discount price.
Developer/Publisher: Officeu Co., Ltd.
Release Date: September 17, 2020
Compatible With: HTC Vive
Price: $14.99
Link: Steam
Cubism
Cubism is a really neat puzzle game that will test your mind. Players are tasked with creating complex shapes out of small blocks and there are 60 puzzles in total. A free demo is available on Steam, so give it a try if you are interested in what you’ve seen in the VR Game Roundup!
Fitness Potential
While it won’t get your heart pumping, Cubism can be played and enjoyed by everyone. It’s a great way to keep your mind active for a few minutes each day, at least until you run out of puzzles. With an affordable price, you can’t go wrong with picking this up.
Developer and Publisher: Thomas Van Bouwel
Release Date: September 17, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, Oculus Quest, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality and Oculus Rift
Price: $9.99
Link: Oculus Store, Steam
Box the Beat VR
The latest rhythm title to hit virtual reality features randomized levels and works with your own songs. A campaign mode will allow you to unlock different gloves and wall skins, while there’s also a relaxation area where you can just enjoy visualizations.
Fitness Potential
Similar to Beat Saber, you’ll be tasked with hitting beats in specific directions. The potential for a solid workout is here. However, it lacks the polish and soundtrack of that title. To put it bluntly, there are far better VR rhythm games that should be checked out before this despite it having a few neat ideas.
Developer and Publisher: xyTec-Games
Release Date: September 17, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Rift
Price: $14.99
Link: Oculus Store
The Stranger VR
The Stranger VR had one of the most interesting trailers in this week’s VR Game Roundup as it is a sci-fi shooter that tasks players with surviving against a world filled with enemies. However, it’s a very simple shooter that can be finished within a few hours. There are seven weapons to check out and 15 enemy types, so there is some variety.
Fitness Potential
Enemies run straight towards the player and offer little challenge or movement as the player just points the gun at them and fire away. You won’t have to move much and it’s not even much of an arm workout due to how the enemies approach. It’s simple to a fault and there are better VR shooter alternatives that should be checked out instead as they are not only more fun to play but provide a great workout as well.
Developer and Publisher: RealityArts Studio
Release Date: September 14, 2020
Compatible With: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
Price: $8.99 ($9.99)
Link: Steam
Sharecare YOU VR
Sharecare YOU VR is an updated version of Sharecare VR 2017 that features thousands of organs to explore in virtual reality. It’s an incredible educational tool and has a library of anatomy and physiology videos that will help teach you about the human body. Fitness includes knowing more about your body and how it works, so this is a great experience for anyone wanting a greater knowledge of themselves.
Fitness Potential
While you won’t be breaking a sweat here, you will get to enjoy a great learning experience. Actually going inside the body this way is quite the sight and will give you a new appreciation for how amazing the human body is.
Developer and Publisher: Sharecare Reality Lab
Release Date: September 17, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality
Price: $34.99
Link: Steam
That does it for this week’s VR Game Roundup. Let us know in the comments below if you are purchasing anything and if you have any recommendations!
