I know, I know. Nobody wants to read about lockdowns and quarantine’s, but it’s the reality that a lot of us now live in. It’s not a reason to despair, mind you, as you can use this newfound free time to catch up on your backlog! I’ve already managed to plough my way through Days Gone, but I’ve found myself needing to get my wiggles out before the day is done, and that’s not easy to do with a DualShock 4 in your hand.
With millions of PSVR headsets out there in the wild, there are millions of opportunities to keep fit without going outside. It might be tempting to just go for a quick run in the park, but isn’t it easier and safer to just stay inside and get your exercise at home? Trust me, it is, and I’m going to give you a few tips on which PSVR games will help you stay fit during lockdown.
BoxVR
This is a no-brainer. BoxVR is less of a game and more of an interactive workout simulator, with a focus on boxing. Think Guitar Hero, but without the plastic instruments, and you’re hitting the notes with your hands. That’s BoxVR.
The game has set workout routines put together by actual fit people who enjoy sweating, so trust their skills and follow their advice and you’ll be keeping the fat at bay while staying safe at home.
Creed: Rise to Glory
OK, another boxing game, but this one is actually a game, but yeah, it’s still boxing. However, while BoxVR has you swinging at incoming balls of light, Creed: Rise to Glory has you swinging your fists at characters from the Rocky universe. You can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa, and more. There’s also multiplayer where you can jump in the ring with strangers online, or invite a buddy to a sparring match.
Be sure to stretch and limber up before you play. I had one fight with my colleague Jeremy months ago, and I was a ruin the next day. Without the physical feedback of actually hitting something, you run the risk of straining your muscles if you’re swinging too hard. So definitely do some warm-ups first, otherwise, you may spend lockdown on the sofa with your muscles in ruins.
Beat Saber
This one is another no-brainer. Swinging lightsabers around to the beat of music? What could be more energising?! Beat Saber will have you working a sweat even on the lowest difficulty level as you chop and slice the blue and red blocks. It’s great fun, too, and really lends itself well to group play, which is perfect if you’re stuck at home with family or housemates. Just, er, be sure to give the headset a wipedown before passing it to the next player. Nobody wants to be trading sweat germs now, do they?
SUPERHOT VR
This might not seem the most active of games, but trust me, you’ll work a sweat while looking like a prat. In SUPERHOT VR, time only moves when you move. So enemies and their bullets won’t move unless you’re moving. It’s basically a puzzle game, but one where you need to crouch, lean sideways, lean forwards, lean backwards, and just about every other movement you can make while standing on two feet.
It’s thrilling, it’s fun, and it’s a challenge that’ll keep you going for hours on end. There’s also the chance we’ll be getting some DLC for the game in the near future, too, so that’ll only add to the hours of exercise SUPERHOT VR provides.
Crisis VRigade
Yup, another shooter. And this is one that has me embarrassed. In my original review, I was really, really harsh on the game. I’ve since come to see the light, and now Crisis VRigade is one of my absolute favourite VR shooters. It’s Time Crisis in VR, and what’s more is that you can now play with a friend thanks to the recent co-op update released for free.
The game itself is all about taking cover and firing at the bad guys from set locations, just like Time Crisis. It’s hard as nails and you’ll spend a lot of your time on your knees, ducking behind whatever cover is available. Believe me, you’ll get a sweat going with Crisis VRigade, and if you manage to beat all three levels, you’ll feel wicked. Honestly, when me and Jez co-oped Crisis VRigade a few weeks back on the Oculus Quest, we played around 2 hours solid until we beat the game. We may have been 6000 miles apart, but we were close bros after that.
Chris’ Tip: Get yourself a VR bro.
Fruit Ninja VR
Remember Fruit Ninja? There was a time when you couldn’t sit on a bus or in a waiting room without hearing the familiar ‘fwip’ ‘fwap’ of bored people killing the minutes by slicing fruits on their mobile phones. Its popularity has died off with time, but before it sank out of the public eye, Fruit Ninja got a VR port and thus Fruit Ninja VR was born.
The PSVR version is excellent and just as good as any other version out there. And yes, it’s a sweaty game. You wield your two PS Move controllers as ninja swords and you slash fruit and veg as it pops up in front of you. You need to avoid hitting the bombs and other nasty things, and it’s as simple as that. It’s damn good fun and it’s another game to break out if you and your family or housemates are in need of some group fun.
Holoball
Holoball is mental. It’s Pong for the VR generation, and I honestly love it. I reviewed Holoball way back in 2016, and if I’d have kept playing it since then, I’d surely not be the fat sack of lard I am now.
Holoball takes place in a Tron-like world and you play against a square. It sounds simple and that’s because it is. You swing the ball at the square, the square hits it back. If the ball passes you, the square gets a point and you get nothing. If you get the ball beyond the square, you get a point. The easy difficulty is just that, but once you start moving up to the harder difficulty levels you’ll be jumping from left to right, reaching out beyond your safe space, and you’ll inevitably smack someone with your desperate lunges. It’s good fun alone, and even more fun if you play pass-the-headset.
Carnival Games VR
This may have started out life as a naff piece of shovelware for the Wii, but the PSVR version is brilliant fun. It’s a little more relaxing than the rest of the games on this list, but you can still get your sweat on if you know where to look. There’s an assault course within the theme park and it’ll have you climbing walls, doing the monkey bars, and all sorts of physically draining activities.
It’s fun, too, and there’s more to it than just exercise. You can play some classic fairground games, collect tickets and redeem prizes. If you find yourself going a little crazy looking at the same four walls of your house, an escape to a virtual carnival can’t be a bad thing, even if it’s only for half an hour.
And that’s my list. I’m sure there are other great PSVR games that can help you stay active and fit. If you’ve got any suggestions, throw them down into the comments below and let everyone know what you’re playing to keep fit during the quarantine.
