Meta's Oculus Quest 2 headset is now known as a piece of exercise equipment as people use "Supernatural" and "Beat Saber" for their cardio workouts.
However, there have been limits to the exercise experience because of the standalone nature of the virtual reality headset.
Oculus Quest 2 Integrated with Apple Health
On Feb 10., Meta announced that the Oculus Move service has integrated with Apple Health. A mobile view of the health stats in the Oculus mobile app is also now available, according to TechCrunch.
Previously, health data including the user's active time spent, goals, progress, and calories burned can only be viewed through the headset.
Meta has been hit by privacy issues over the years, so now, they are specifying that exporting movement data from the headset to your smartphone or the Apple Health app is only opt-in and that the data will not have any ad suggestions.
Also Read: Oculus Quest 2 Update Now Supports Facebook Messenger: How to DM in Virtual Reality
It is an update for the headset that is long overdue, but one which a lot of frequent users will be happy to see added on their devices.
At the tech giant's most recent Connect keynote, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the Oculus Quest's popularity as a workout device.
Zuckerberg added that a lot of users are already using Oculus Quest to stay fit, it lets you work out in complete new ways.
Zuckerberg compared Oculus Quest to a Peloton, but instead of a bike, users only have their VR headset and with it, users can do anything from boxing lessons, dancing, to sword-fighting, according to MacRumors.
Oculus Acquires Supernatural
According to CNET, as Oculus Quest push for more fitness workouts in its system, Google has purchased "Supernatural" last year and it features boxing to keep the users active.
"Supernatural" launched its sleek, reimagined concept for VR fitness last year for a $19 monthly subscription.
The acquisition happened right after the COVID-19 lockdowns trapped millions of people inside their homes, without gyms and certainty that outdoor exercise would be safe. Interest in VR fitness increased during the pandemic.
VR was one of technology's trends a couple of years ago, attracting massive investments by tech giants like Google and Facebook, which bought Oculus Quest for $3 billion in 2014.
However, the hype fizzled out, as the adoption of VR remained elusive when users were ambivalent about bulky boxes that are strapped to the face.
When "Supernatural" launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook's Oculus Quest store went out of stock, with online listings auctioning them at a 40% price markup. When Oculus later rolled out it newest headset, the Oculus Quest 2, it was in and out of stock for months.
"Supernatural" is not the first VR fitness app to feature boxing. "FitXR" has boxing-based workouts that are the same basic concept as "Supernatural," increasing targets to uppercut, jab, and hook plus glowing bars when you duck.
"Supernatural's" boxing sets itself apart in several ways that is cardio-focused workouts did as well. It has volumetric recordings of humans standing in front of you, helping you warm up before your workout and helping you through short cool-down periods with stretching at the end.
Oculus Quest may add more fitness games to keep the users engaged and active, but for those who are looking into getting a full body workout, "Supernatural" is the best there is.
Earlier this year, Meta updates Oculus Quest 2 with Apple Magic keyboard.
You can also play games on Oculus Quest 2 with this easy to follow guide.
Related Article: Oculus Quest 2 Allegedly Exposes Children to Harmful Content! UK Data Watchdog Now Questions Meta
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
