Review: Have a blast as you box and dance into shape with FitXR

Jam out, have a blast, and whip your body into shape with FitXR.

I’m a total novice when it comes to virtual reality but have always been so fascinated by it. I’ve played with VR a tiny bit in the past, but I’ve never experienced anything like the experience I got with Oculus Quest 2; my mind was blown. So naturally, I was thrilled when I received an email asking if I’d be interested in reviewing a fitness game called FitXR available on Oculus Quest 2.

I’m a master group fitness instructor and fitness enthusiast; I love to sweat it out whenever and however I can. I had no idea what a fitness class would be like in virtual reality or if it would be a good workout, but I’m thrilled to report that FitXR is a fantastically fun, effective way to whip your body into shape. FitXR enables you to dance and box your way to fitness with great music, motivational instructors, and workouts designed for everyone. If you’re a fan of VR, Oculus Quest, and fitness, this is a game you’ll definitely want to add to your collection. Get ready, VR just got a whole lot sweatier in the best way.

FitXR

Bottom line: FitXR is an effective, fun fitness game designed for virtual reality. You’ll dance and box your way into shape with great music, motivational instructors, and workouts designed for all levels.

The Good

• Effective
• Lots of variety
• Great music
• Fun!
• Workouts for all levels

The Bad

• Calorie burn is inaccurate
• Rhythm is essential

$30 at Oculus

FitXR review: What I like

FitXR is an effective and fun way to get into shape.

Well, let me just start by saying that playing FitXR is unlike any other fitness class I’ve ever experienced. I’m brand new to virtual reality and I had no idea what to expect when I initially tried this software. I’ve been playing FitXR every day for about two weeks now and I’ve been loving it. It is an incredibly effective way to get into shape and it’s a whole lot of fun!

Let’s start at the beginning. To access this game, it must be purchased through the Oculus app store. Once it’s been downloaded, you’ll enter the game and it will take you to the FitXR studio home base. It looks like a futuristic, sleek, premium gym. You’ll see big windows with views, large portraits of the instructors on the wall, and the studio front desk. Think Equinox in the year 2050. From there, you’ll create a profile within the game that asks for your basic info: name, age, weight, gender.

Be sure to take the FitXR demo so you know how to move and what to expect.

Once you’ve created your profile, you’ll be prompted to go through the FitXR demo so you can learn how to move and what cues to expect in class. After that, you’re ready to take a class of your choice. I recommend starting with one of the beginner boxing or dance classes so you can get a handle on the movement and experience the cues in motion. Once you’ve got a few beginner classes under your belt, you’ll be ready to advance to more challenging workouts.

I love that there is so much variety within the class options. The classes themselves are divided between two categories: dancing and boxing. You can choose a class ranging from three to 25 minutes with varying levels of intensity. There are three levels of intensity to choose from: light, medium, and hard. Light will definitely cause you to break a sweat, and hard will have you dripping by the end of your session (no matter how long it is).

The workout music is top notch! FitXR features a variety of musical genres including rock, dance, hip-hop and electronic. All the playlists I’ve experienced so far have been fire. Music is such a motivating force when you work out and listening and performing on the beat is integral to being successful in FitXR classes. The classes are very rhythmic which is obvious for dance, but also imperative to performing well in boxing.

These classes are fully immersive, futuristic, psychadelic experiences.

It’s difficult to explain the world you enter when you drop into a FitXR class, but it’s a fully immersive, futuristic, psychedelic experience. Please check out the photos of the game and tell me if you can describe it any better. A really cool aspect of the game is that you’re competing against other players. Six other players are brought into your on-demand class (using ghost data) to bring a collaborative group fitness feel to life. When you look left and right, you can see these ghost players playing alongside you. It’s super trippy and really cool.

When you’re actively taking a class, there’s a leaderboard in view so you can see how you stack up against the other players. You can also see the time left in your session, your FitXR points, your current streak, your best streak, and your current level. Streak points are accumulated when you punch, jab, uppercut, and squat directly on the beat in boxing; and when you dance and do the correct movement on the beat in dance. FitXR encourages you not to focus so much on getting it right, and to just move your body and have a good time. Conquering the classes will follow as long as you’re having fun.

FitXR classes accommodate all levels.

My favorite classes to take are definitely the boxing classes. They provide such an incredible workout. I’m always dripping with sweat after a session and I feel incredible. It’s a great way to punch out your stress, anxiety, and frustration in a healthy, constructive way! Working out releases endorphins which is the best high around. I always say, “there’s no therapy like workout therapy,” and I firmly stand behind that quote. The dance classes are a lot of fun, too, and they accommodate all levels. Whether you’re a toe-tapper or an expert dancer, there’s plenty of dance classes for you to enjoy.

Remember to stay hydrated and take care of your body after class.

Remember to have water nearby so you can stay hydrated and take care of your body after your class. I typically feel sore the next day. You’re definitely getting a solid workout in. I often forget that because I’m having so much fun playing the game. After your class, you’ll see the statistics for that workout. Your best explosive streak, time played, class record, average punch speed (if boxing), calories burned, and level reached will all be displayed when you finish. The FitXR workouts were designed by real-world, professional fitness instructors to enable you to get a true workout in the comfort of your own home. It’s a whole new level of connected fitness. It’s fully immersive and exceptionally fun.

You can also check up on your user statistics. When you click this option from the FitXR homepage, you can see your stats organized by day, week, month, or total time overall. You’ll see the total FitXR points you’ve earned, time played, average punch speed, total awesomeness, calories burned, classes completed, best explosive streak, and best dance streak.

FitXR review: What I don’t like

I’ve taken about 20 different FitXR classes at this point. I recently started using my heart rate monitor to calculate my calorie burn during a session, because I felt like FitXR was saying I was burning way more calories than I actually was. After wearing my Polor Oh1 heart rate monitor for eight different workouts, I can confirm that I was right. FitXR said I burned over twice as many calories than I actually did every single time I checked. For example, I took a 10-minute boxing class. FitXR said I burned 222 calories in those 10 minutes, whereas my heart rate monitor said I burned 83 calories.

Having the option to connect a heart rate monitor to accurately track calorie burn would be awesome.

The most effective way to accurately monitor your calorie burn is through your heart rate, so I definitely trust what my heart rate monitor tells me. The difference between 222 calories and 87 is huge; those amounts aren’t even close. I think it’s virtually impossible to burn 222 calories in 10 minutes. It typically takes me 20 minutes to burn 180-200 calories, and that’s when I’m doing a pretty intense cardio workout. FitXR classes are great workouts and a ton of fun, but they definitely need to improve their calorie counting system. These large discrepancies are very misleading. Having the option to connect a heart rate monitor so users can accurately track their calorie burn would be awesome (hint, hint FitXR).

I think it’s also important to note that having and understanding rhythm is important to performing well in FitXR classes. Your streak points are accumulated when you do the correct movement, punch, or squat on the beat. If you move off beat, your streak points go back to zero. Rhythm is intuitive for a lot of people. However, some people have a really hard time performing on beat. I know this for a fact as I’ve been teaching rhythmic fitness classes for over a decade. If you struggle with rhythm, I could see these classes becoming frustrating. It’s important to remember to just move your body and have fun, FitXR emphasizes this. As long as you’re getting a workout in and enjoying yourself, you’re doing it right.

The competition

The Thrill of the Fight

The Thrill of the Fight is a boxing game designed specifically for VR. Like FitXR, it is available on Oculus Quest 2. It seems to be more true-to-life when it comes to boxing mechanics and physically being in the ring. When you drop into the game, you’ll enter a virtual gym and battle challengers with their own unique boxing styles and techniques. If you want a more realistic boxing experience, this is the game for you. If you’re looking for a fantastical boxing workout unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, FitXR is the way to go.

Dance Central

Dance Central was designed from the ground up for VR and will immerse you and your friends in the world’s best dance club experiences. It features a 32-song soundtrack featuring chart-toppers from the 1970s to today’s biggest hits. There are two difficulty levels and unique routines choreographed for each song. There’s also an option for multiplayer play. You can customize your look, take in-game selfies, and meet up with friends in the multiplayer lounge. If you want to go clubbing in virtual reality, this is your new favorite game. If you’re looking for a one-on-one workout setting with three levels of intensity, FitXR is the right choice.

FitXR review: Should you buy

You should buy this if …

• You have Oculus Quest or Oculus Quest 2
• You love to dance and or box
• You’re a gamer who wants a great workout

You should not buy this if …

• You do not have a VR playing device
• You’re physically injured
• You need accurate calorie counts

FitXR is a dancing and boxing fitness game available on Oculus Quest 2. You’ll listen to great tunes while you dance and box your way into shape, and you’ll have an absolute blast doing it. It’s an incredibly addicting workout game in the best possible way. On the downside, the calorie burn counter is off, so it might be helpful to wear a heart rate monitor while you’re in the game, so you can accurately track your calorie burn. Also, having rhythm helps. If you struggle with rhythm, consistency is key. The more you play, the better you’ll get. Plus, think of how fit you’ll be!

FitXR

FitXR is an effective, fun fitness game designed for virtual reality. You’ll dance and box your way into shape with great music, motivational instructors, and workouts designed for all levels.

$30 at Oculus