VirZOOM has been in the virtual reality (VR) fitness game for quite a while now, starting off with a bike controller in 2016. But hardware – especially VR peripherals – is a difficult business to be in, seeing VirZOOM pivot to being a software company that allows you to cycle around the world on a standard exercise bike. Today, VirZOOM has announced the launch of VZfit, its complete fitness app for Oculus Quest.
Fitness has become an exciting part of the VR industry, with apps like Supernatural and FitXR heavily promoting their healthy credentials whilst others including Beat Saber, Synth Riders, Audio Trip and more equally provide energetic sessions which can be tracked using Oculus Move or YUR. But they all tend to be rhythm action experiences, whereas VZfit is still sticking to its cycling roots whilst expanding its potential by removing the bike altogether.
VZfit‘s unique feature is the use of Google Maps so you can cycle around almost anywhere in the world, following pre-created routes or your own. If you have an exercise bike then an additional cadence sensor is all that’s required to connect the app to the bike. However, VZfit’s latest addition is the ‘exerboard’ which allows you to follow a virtual trainers workout routine with feedback and encouragement along the route.
“We wanted to combine the limitless possibilities of the world around us with the limitless possibilities of VR,” said Eric Janszen, Co-founder and CEO, VirZOOM in a statement. “Take a selfie at the Coliseum or in front of the Sydney Opera House, or simply take a trip down memory lane – whatever location you choose, with VZfit a world of adventure is literally at your fingertips. Our experiences have always been an exhilarating mix of the real world and the fantastical, but this is the most accessible VR fitness app that uses global exploration as a key motivator, making it so fresh and engaging that exercise almost becomes the side product. Especially in a time when none of us can travel in reality, it already has our community completely hooked.”
“After the success of VZplay and Explorer, we wanted to reduce the friction of needing special cardio hardware so we could expand our reach to anyone wanting to stay fit and healthy,” adds Eric Malafeew, Co-founder and CTO, VirZOOM. “We also wanted to expand beyond pure game play to tap into those travel aspirations and the endless options available to us in the real world.”
VZfit is available today for Oculus Quest. The app is free to download with a 7-day trial period available to test it out. After that it’s a subscription service costing $9.99 USD per month with VirZOOM also planning on rolling out a discounted annual membership in the near future. For further updates on VZfit, keep reading VRFocus.