10 Best VR Games For A Good Workout

VR is still in its first decade of existence, and in that time, so many great games have come out that seemed like they would shift the landscape of gaming.

Unfortunately, there is still a tentative attitude toward VR, as it has yet to enter the mainstream in a big way. However, that doesn’t stop those with headsets from enjoying every second of being in the virtual world.

One of the best implementations of VR is its workout aspects, as fitness-centric games and even combat-based games can provide great workouts for you. Let’s check out 10 VR games that give you a great workout.

10 Until You Fall

The Title Says it All

Until You Fall is a colorful action rogue-like that has you fighting through waves and waves of enemies in variety of different levels. Don’t let the color fool you though, this is one tough game.

You’ll be ducking, weaving and slashing through tons of different enemies, all requiring careful reading of their moves and precise actions to overcome. The combat is a mix of physics and gesture-based movements, and after a while of playing, your entire body will be exhausted, which ups the immersion considerably.

Until You Fall keeps upgrading your equipment as you go along, so dying is never the end, but a new beginning for you to become stronger for the next run.

The bosses in this game are among the most challenging in any VR game and the sweat is sure to be dripping once you encounter these fearsome creatures.

9 Blade and Sorcery

The Ultimate Battle Sim

Blade and Sorcery is a system seller in VR, as it provides the best combat the system has to offer. Here, combat is 100 percent physics-based. That means your real life force gets reflected in the game. If you’re going to stab an enemy, you can’t just lightly poke, you need to use actual strength to make it happen.

It can be a bit disturbing at times, but with the recent update that puts an entire campaign mode alongside the already great sandbox mode, the total package here is most excellent.

Workout wise, this game can get you sweating like few others manage to. You’ll be blocking, parrying, slashing, stabbing, punching, ducking and jumping as you take on waves and waves of enemies and the fact that the game lets your swings directly translate to the game is something most games have not achieved.

It’s also fully compatible with VR add-ons like treadmills or full body tracking, adding things like real life running and kicking into the game for the ultimate full body VR workout experience.

8 Tales of Glory

Mount and Blade in VR

Tales of Glory is a fantastic VR experience that puts you behind the helm of a medieval general leading an army across the land on a mission to conquer everything in your path.

It manages to take the experience of mount and blade and puts it into VR, and it’s remarkable as it was created by just one person. You’ll be taking part in jousts, throwing spears, calling your troops into formation, riding horses and charging into battle in an experience that is unparalleled in VR.

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The workout aspect is with the combat. Similar to Blade and Sorcery, you’ll be fighting with medieval weaponry, but here, the scale is maximized, with hundreds of soldiers fighting at once per battle and the need to be precise with your attacks to pierce armor and shields makes everything more intense.

You can get hours upon hours of enjoyment out of this game, and for those looking to get in shape at the same time, it’s not a bad idea to join the virtual war effort to shed some pounds.

7 Pistol Whip

Sweating John Wick Style

Pistol Whip is one of the coolest games in VR, that is dripping with style and substance for what seems like a simple rhythm game at first. The concept is you’re on rails as you travel throughout each level shooting at various enemies.

This is all driven by slick visuals and a great soundtrack that actually gets you higher scores as you shoot to the beat of the songs.

You’ll die very quickly here, so you need to be super fast when ducking bullets and delivering pinpoint shots of your own.

You can dual wield or go with just one pistol, but regardless of the method you take, not a single one of these levels will be tough to get through without having to take your headset off for a quick cleaning.

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Cardio will be challenged heavily here and your arms might get pretty sore in the process as well, so be sure to stretch both arms and legs before jumping into this one, as it’s a full body workout that will leave you feeling like a badass while kicking up your endurance in the process.

6 Beat Saber

Feel the Music

Systems

Platform(s)

PC , PS4 , PS5

Released

May 21, 2019

Engine

Unity

ESRB

E For Everyone

Metascore

86

PS Plus Availability

N/A

Expand

Beat Saber is the easiest game to take out and show people when demonstrating how cool VR can be. It’s a simple concept: slash the boxes in the correct direction as they come at you.

The power of the game comes with everything else though. There is incredible music, obstacles you need to dodge or duck under and tons of expansion packs that make the experience even better.

I highly recommend you stretch before this one, as the harder modes are one of the most frenetic workouts you can have in VR.

Every muscle you have will be put into action when a flurry of boxes, high and low and in between, come at you at a breakneck pace while you have to duck underneath obstacles at the same time.

It’s a great game, a great cardio experience and a fantastic example of how VR can cross over into real world use. Perhaps the first VR workout game to make a name for itself, and it’s inspired countless clones since then.

5 Skyrim VR

Being The Dragonborn is Hard Work

Fighting

Action RPG

Shooter

Action-Adventure

Systems

Released

November 17, 2017

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

Engine

Creation Engine

ESRB

m

How Long To Beat

140 hours

Expand

Skyrim is a game that will be talked about until the heat death of the universe at this point, but the VR version still deserves a spot on this list. While the melee combat in this massive RPG is a little less than inspired, the archery combat is as exhilarating as it gets in VR.

Having to draw an arrow from your quiver and nock it repeatedly during combat is among the most physically taxing experiences in all of VR. This effect can be bolstered with mods, which is really the only way to play Skyrim VR at this point.

You can launch arrows at enemies as fast as your arms can move, and it’s caused more than a few sore nights on my end after exploring the virtual world for a few hours.

If you’re dedicated to the melee builds of the game, you’re not totally left in the dark. You can tweak some .ini settings, such as any setting with the name threshold next to it, in order to have melee require more strength to register.

There are also great mods like PLANCK, which lets you physically throw people or grab them in combat, adding even further to the physical experience.st

4 NFL Pro Era 2025

The Closest Thing To VR Madden

NFL Pro Era II has morphed into NFL Pro Era 2025 and with it came a slew of changes, including the ability to play defense. It’s the closest we have to VR Madden, and it doesn’t disappoint.

At its core, it’s mostly a quarterback sim, and it doesn’t slouch in that department. The throwing mechanics are spot on, but the immersion is where things get real. You’ll feel the sound and presence of being in a stadium of 40,000 fans, and it’s a one of a kind moment to behold.

Your throw strength is tracked, so your throws need to be realistic in how they are released. You can fire a bullet pass, or loft the ball deep if you find a guy streaking open.

There are also hot routes, interacting with teammates and the ability to run. Running is done here by pumping your arms, which, if you’ve got a little bit of room to play around with, you can run around in the pocket yourself and for the more ambitious who play outside, can actually run for first downs if you’re feeling up to it.

A full game in the All Pro mode will have you sweating, and that’s just with throwing. If you’re playing in the defensive mode, you’ll be doing double time when it comes to pumping those arms to move.

If you have a treadmill, you can mix those together to create a highly realistic football experience that is the only game of its kind.

3 Gorilla Tag

Move Like A Gorilla

gorilla-tag-1.jpg

Gorilla Tag is one of the first meme games of the VR community and it got its reputation for good reason. It’s so simple. It’s tag. That’s all. Nothing to write home about there, right? Well, the reason this game became a hit is that it gives an experience only VR can give and, in the process, you’ll get a crazy workout.

Gorilla Tag makes you navigate its levels like a gorilla would. That means you’ll be using your arms to stomp around, sprint or climb as you compete in various games of tag online.

This might sound easy, but trust me, it’s far from it. Just walking around can tire your arms out, but chasing people around, having to climb quickly or escape from others yourself is an honestly exhausting workout.

If you can last through multiple rounds of Gorilla Tag, your arms will be on fire, so make sure you’re loosened up before jumping into this one as, despite its somewhat goofy-looking graphics, this game is not an easy experience and demands a lot from you physically.

2 Dragon Fist VR

Like a Dragon

Dragon Fist VR is essentially Mortal Kombat VR. If that sounds awesome, well, it is. You’ll be choosing from a variety of different Kung fu fighters who each have a special ability. The ability to range from a powerful punch to an energy blast, and it all looks great and feels awesome to play.

You will be using your arms primarily here, as punching and chopping will be your main forms of attack. You’ll also be ducking, jumping, dodging side to side and, if you’ve got a good play space, you can move around the room in any way you’d like.

Combat is physics based here, so you’ll have to put that pop into those punches and the enemy AI is sharp, so don’t expect easy fights here.

As one of the lesser known gems in the VR world, Dragon Fist VR definitely has a great hook and learning to fight in different styles is a very fun game and an awesome workout to take part in.

1 Thrill of the Fight

A Boxing Dream

Thrill of the Fight gives you exactly what the title says. The energy. The exhaustion. The pain. It’s all very real with Thrill of the Fight. You’ll be going round for round with a roster of boxers and while it’s not the longest game out there, getting to the final fight is an incredible achievement, especially on the higher difficulties.

Thrill of the Fight will have you taking part in highly realistic boxing matches. You can edit the force threshold in the options beforehand, but regardless, you’ll have to be constantly moving, dodging, ducking and punching during these highly intense matches.

You’ll be throwing hundreds of punches per match and, trust me, that hurts after a while. You have to measure your approach to each fight here, making each shot count and not tiring yourself out.

It mirrors a boxing match remarkably well and provides an unbelievably effective workout and if you have a square room to use as your play space, you can fully move around like a real boxing ring, adding to the immersion and the workout as well.

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