By Lena Tricolici
— December 1st, 2020
3 FREE FitXR-like Oculus Quest games to knock-out passive lifestyle
FitXR is rad, but even if you like caviar, every now and then you may be in the mood for a hamburger.
Explore 3 FitXR games that are for free, but they can definitely whet your appetite for VR fitness and
will help you to keep active lifestyle.
The words "FitXR" and "Luxury" stand side by side. This VR game has impressive graphics, immersive
workouts led by professionals, and a lot of play settings. What else can a player want? However, there
are many reasons why you may want an alternative. Some players don't like the game after the update.
Some cannot forgive FitXR for its dark gym environment. Others don’t like the new power-based strike
system.
And even if FitXR is your go-to VR fitness game, it's always exhilarating to try something new.
So let’s explore 3 free VR fitness games whose logic is similar to FitXR. Some are almost as good as
FitXR; some are a one-night-stand option - or better to say evening ;), but if you are a fan of FitXR,
you must play them all at least once.
TIP:
All 3 games are for free. You can download them from
SideQuest
and it won’t cost you a cent.
Hitstream is a fast-paced arcade game with the logic similar to FitXR. You will box in rhythm with
adrenaline-pumping music, hit the balls flying on you, and dodge the walls.
Outdoor environments are what make your VR session unforgettable. No more dusty dark gyms - in Hitstream
you play above the mountains, oceans, and green fields. If you have played Supernatural, the atmosphere
in this game is pretty similar. But once again, Hitstream is for free while Supernatural will cost you
$19 per month.
The game features a 360-degree play mode. It can be quite tricky to react when the balls fly from
different parts, but it perfectly involves your legs and develops a reaction.
Now Hitstream offers one class for training and 6 workout classes. Each class has a unique outdoor
environment, fitness intensity, and length.
Unlike FitXR, this VR game doesn’t force you to hit the ball with all your power, it is more about speed
and reaction. The system rewards you when you hit harder, but you will get some points even if you touch
the orbs without punching them hard. The most important is to hit the orb according to the direction
arrows - and this makes us think that Hitstream has a lot in common with Beat Saber.
Let's sum up:
TOTAL RATING: 9/10
Hitstream will impress you with its beautiful design, workout intensity and the variety of
environments.
Tower Workout is a boxing-inspired workout for high-intensity fitness. Like in FitXR, you will hit the
cubes and dodge the walls flying on you. The same like FitXR, the game involves all the classic boxing
elements like cross, hook, punches, squats, steps, and dodges.
As the developers warn the game intensity may be too high for beginners as the game was created to train
martial artists. As far as am not a martial artist, this Workout has become a real challenge for me.
If you think that the orbs in FitXR fly too fast, you probably haven't played Tower Workout! The speed of
the blocks is enormous. The cubes fly like crazy, the speed of walls throws your reaction a real
challenge. If you dream about weight loss in a short time or need a good shakeup, this game perfectly
does the trick. The game is also good for stretching your muscles because some of the cubes are flying
from the opposite sides. When you try to hit them, you stretch your torso muscles and train your
flexibility.
The main idea of the game is really what excites me. You are standing on the top of a tower, which is
getting higher as long as you make good strikes. The highest level of the tower is 10 meters - almost a
5-storey building! Once you reach the maximum point, you feel yourself a real winner standing on the top
of the world.
After exercising in Hitstream, with its nature-inspired, sunny environment, the design of Tower Workout
seems ominous, with those skulls painted on the walls, dark background, and gothic pictures following
the music tracks. On the other hand, this is what gives this game its unique charm. The design inspires
the combative spirit of a player, and the atmosphere broadcasts you a message: This battle is not a
joke.
The game menu has a plethora of settings, which is confusing when you enter the game the first time. But
once you get the grip on how to set the game up to your wish, you get endless variations in workouts.
Let's sum up:
TOTAL RATING: 8/10
Despite the difficulty, this VR game is worth trying even if you are an amateur. And of course,
if you are into martial arts, this should be your cup of tea. From all the games listed today, Tower
Workout is the most intense game.
BMSFitness is another FitXR-like boxing game launched by a Japanese developer in May 2020.
While FitXR and HitStream have a more neutral design, BMSfitness has a specific anime-inspired genre. If
you are a fan of manga, anime, and Japanese music, you must like this funny game.
Cartoon girls in the background, anime music tracks and Japanese voice-over make you totally immersed in
the atmosphere of anime.
This game has one essential feature that is no longer available in FitXR - custom music. While FitXR has
removed custom playlists as a feature, all the music tracks are manually set by a player in BMS fitness.
It, however, brings certain issues - because the game doesn’t have any default tracks. It means you
cannot start playing until you add some music tracks in the game folder on your Oculus. (The tracks
should have BMS format) Thankfully, the developer attached the list of BMS music tracks that you can
freely use. There you will find tons of Japanese music from different anime for any taste.
The game has a few levels of difficulty - Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very hard. I easily passed easy and
normal levels. But I couldn't pass Hard and Very hard modes.
I love anime, so I was charmed by the unique atmosphere of this fitness game. Overall, it is not as
intense as FitXR, but it still provides a workout.
Let's sum up:
TOTAL RATING: 6.5/10
At this level of development, this VR fitness game cannot compete with FitXR. The game now lacks
many basic settings, it doesn't have default songs and it has bugs. But it is for free, it has its
unique style, and it can be a nice way to spend an evening.
Thoughts
VR industry is growing really fast. Today you can find many game equivalents to your favorite games, and
some of them are for free.
Does it mean it is a bad idea to invest money in high-class games like FitXR? No. After playing other
FitXR-like games you start missing those refined graphics, user-friendly interface, intense workouts
created by professional trainers. No matter how many good analogs the market offers, coming back to
FitXR is like turning back home.
But if you are not planning to purchase FitXR for some reason, now you know that you can always find
alternatives. Even if you cannot afford paid fitness games, you still can have an amazing workout.
Watch this video and choose which of 3 VR games above you like more:
