For ages, gaming and fitness were virtually antonyms. Wii Sports was one of the first games to break this perception and really open up the possibilities of fitness in gaming. Within the constantly evolving world of Virtual Reality, that potential only continues to grow.

VR fitness games bring a whole new meaning to "at home" workouts, making getting in shape a much more fun and immersive experience than following along with a video tutorial. If you are looking to kick the gym and explore some virtual workouts, here are some VR fitness games we recommend checking out.

Updated February 20, 2024 By Matthew McKeown: When most people think of VR games, they imagine slick first-person shooters, open-world RPGs, or quirky party games. Not many consider using their headset for something much healthier, as a source of your next workout.

Over the years we’ve had a few hits and misses from this particular genre, but it finally feels like it’s all coming together as better fitness games with interesting hooks land on our screens. There’s quite a lot for a number of skill levels, but they’re all guaranteed to leave you sweating. So here’s an updated look at some of the best VR fitness games to get a workout in.

Power Punch

A VR Battle Royale game that’s sure to leave you soaked in sweat and gasping for a break, Power Punch is a chaotic multiplayer boxing game. Gameplay is simple, you’re dumped into an arena with other players and you just have to batter the absolute daylights out of each other. The winner is the last one standing, so start swinging those fists.

You’re encouraged to hit as hard as you can as the bigger the punch, the more damage you do. Fights can get pretty frantic and thrilling when you’re facing off with someone who knows how to throw hands and the art style is cute and colorful so you don’t feel too intimidated about punching other people online.

It’s highly recommended that you vacate everything and everyone breakable from your play space whilst using Power Punch. It’s an accident waiting to happen.

Racket Club

If you’re looking for a realistic racket ball game then Racket Club is worth checking out. Developed by Resolution Games, it takes the enjoyment of the classic game and puts it in an appealing arcade wrapper. There’s a number of courts to jump into including some small chaotic spaces that will keep you moving.

You can grab a big group for a set of Doubles or face off against AI bots that will give you quite the challenge. Movement sync is incredibly accurate and there’s even a Tennis Club to go hang out in if you fancy socializing with other players.

The minimum play space for Racket Club is six feet by six feet, so you don’t need a ton of room to try it out.

Crazy Kung Fu

Become a Kung Fu Master and learn some self-defense tricks with Crazy Kung Fu from Field Of Vision. Focus your mind and body as one whilst beating the ever-loving tar out of some training dummies that can pack quite the smack.

Gameplay is simple, punch the pads and avoid the pointy bits. There are plenty of unlockable locations, cool cosmetic bracers, and even a multiplayer mode that lets you show off your technique to others worldwide. It’s a simple premise and it’s incredibly satisfying to watch your performance improve over time whilst you work up a sweat swinging those fists.

GRAB

An early-access multiplayer VR game, GRAB is all about one thing, Parkour. Slip, swing, slide and soar through levels with death-defying grabs and brave jumps with up to 12 other players at a time in what can become quite chaotic climbing escapades.

There’s a level editor if you want to make your own brutal challenges and thousands upon thousands of Community-created content to check out if you blow through the available maps. The graphics are simple but the gameplay is great, especially with a group. If you’re in need of a new climbing game then check out GRAB.

GRAB, like other climbing games, can get incredibly tiring on your arms. So make sure to take regular breaks whilst flinging those controller-filled hands around.

Archery Battle VR

A slick-looking Archery Simulator, Archery Battle VR will bring out your inner Bowman as you thwack arrows into targets like Robin Hood. On the surface, the game is pretty simple, but once you start digging into it there’s quite a bit of complexity that those who enjoy Archery will really get a kick out of.

There are plenty of bows to collect from simple string and wood to modern Compound Bows that will rocket those Arrows right where you want them. There are also a bunch of levels to check out and plenty of different targets to pincushion such as the standard Olympic Targets to moving cut-outs and even live predators such as Jaguars and Wolves. It’s a satisfying simulator that’ll keep you slinging shots for hours.

Toss

Get ready for your arms to get tired in Toss from Agera Games. This bright and cute arcade VR game has you swinging and tossing yourself along huge gaps using bars, branches, and whatever else you can get your monkey mitts on.

It’s all about agility and timing your swings over hazards like laser traps, electrical zaps, spikes and so much more across some genuinely complex and challenging climbing levels. To keep things fresh there are challenge modes and some interesting modifiers like Zero Gravity to unlock. If you want to work up a sweat fast then toss should be at the top of your list.

It’s recommended to go as fast as you possibly can in Toss as the momentum on swings can carry you a lot further than you think.

Net Defender

A very simple-looking VR game but one that will get you moving a lot in a very short time. In net Defender, you play as a Football goalie and you just have to stop balls from going into the net.

There isn’t a lot to the game, but the balls come at you fast and frequently so you’ll rarely have a moment to stop. Combine it with some arm weights for a real workout or just enjoy the cardio of continual movement against an unending stream of Soccer Balls flying at your head from different angles. Simple and with no extra gimmicks, Net Defender lets you get right into the ball-stopping action fast.

Vriking

A Runner game with a unique difference, Vriking puts you in the hot seat as a horn-helmeted Norseman running the gauntlet through a bunch of traps and other delightful hazards. All you have to do is collect Shields for points along the way, don’t run into a trap and hit that end goal.

It’s an Early Access Endless Runner game with a lot of potential, plus the fitness side involves a lot of arm movement to run, jump, and dodge around traps. So it keeps you pretty active. Levels are procedurally generated so they can run for as long as you can and it’s easy enough to pick up and play so there’s not a lot of onboarding for new players.

Since the game is gesture-specific, make sure you’re swinging your arms nice and wide so the game registers correctly whether you want to run, dodge, or jump.

All-In-One Summer Sports VR

If you’re looking for a big collection of mini-games in one then you can’t go wrong with All-In-One Summer Sports VR from Appnori. Reminiscent of the Wii Sports era, this Early Acces game takes the same idea but puts it into a bright and fun VR setting.

There are plenty of activities waiting for you ranging from Water Polo to swimming, target shooting, bike races, jet skis, and much more. Plus, new activities are regularly being added with updates, and with the ability to play with a large group, you can work out with your friends and have fun at the same time.

Up to five VR players can go at once, and there’s also plenty of character customization to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Throwback

Unlock your inner Paperboy with Throwback from Look On Media. This absolute gem of an Early Access game is incredibly stylish, and exciting and never has a dull moment as you blast through it. Defeat the fleets of drones and other strange foes that are sent against you and recover the founder of your crew through some absolutely strange levels and locales.

Toss elemental-infused newspapers and unlock other strange and powerful weapons through mini-games, playable arcade cabinets, and more. There’s also a bit of base customization and plenty of ways to toss stuff at goons and make them go boom. It’s all in the wrist with Throwback.

Normally throwing objects in VR can be incredibly temperamental, but Throwback absolutely nails the physics of it so it’s a lot less trial and error when tossing things.

Ninja Legends

Work up a sweat and show off your Shinobi skills in Ninja Legends from Coinflip Studios. This first-person hack-and-slash game has plenty of opportunities for you to style all over some unfortunate samurai and ninja as you feel like a dicing death-dealing badass. Plus, with unique Shadow Skill abilities to unlock, it doesn’t take long to become utterly untouchable.

There are 18 levels with four difficulty modes to test out, and over six unique Ninja Weapons ranging from the classic Katana to more niche weapons like Claws, Naginata’s, and strange Gauntlets. To challenge your skills there are boss fights, daily challenges, and secret modes to unlock, so there are plenty of things to keep you active in the game.

Hot Squat

Test out your knees and build up that leg muscle with Hot Squat from Bean Boy Games. This rigorous exercise game involves squatting challenges that can seriously test your endurance. It’s a pretty simple game that has a lot of ways for you to burn off those calories and best of all, it’s free to play.

There are achievements to unlock, an appropriately high-energy soundtrack to keep you focused, and an endless mode that will let you push your endurance to the max. Plus, to motivate your exercise goals further there are leaderboards to climb as you flex your ability to hose some of those difficult squat poses.

Make sure to do some stretches before a session in Hot Squats, it will kill your thighs quicker than you think.

Ragnarock

Pound out a rocking rhythm as your Viking crew row to victory. Developed by WanadevStudio, Ragnarock is an incredibly fun rhythm game that will make your arms tired in the best kind of way. You play as the rowing drummer on a Viking Longship in a race. The faster and better you hit the runes, the quicker your ship goes. Get to the finish line first and claim your victory.

Featuring a brilliant soundtrack filled with rock and metal tracks that’s clearly been curated with a lot of care, Ragnarock is guaranteed to get you nodding your head along to the tunes. There’s offline solo if you want to go it alone, but if you enjoy company in your workouts you can also set it for online or split-screen co-op and multiplayer. Mythological Nordic lands await, so start beating that drum.

Until You Fall

A stylish fantasy game with a synth-wave soundtrack that will keep your pulse pounding, Until You Fall from Schell Games is an exciting VR sword-fighting game that’s guaranteed to keep you active and out of breath. You play the last remaining Rune Knight in the land of Rokar after the civilization collapsed due to a catastrophic calamity.

Evil monsters stalk the lands and it’s up to you to hack your way through these hellish hordes. You’ll need to keep moving in order to dodge their swings and there’s plenty of ways to play, magic to cast, and a range of weapons to equip yourself with. Expect intense sessions of physical activity whenever you boot up this game as it can get a little relentless.

Make sure your play space is clear of objects as the high physicality in this game can lead to a lot of big swings and accidental breakages.

Sound Boxing

A rhythm game that’ll get your heart rate up, Sound Boxing from Maxint is very Beat Sabre-esque as you can box your way through a selection of carefully curated tracks from both the devs and other players. The music library is massive and there’s even an option to create your own boxing beats to songs if you feel so inclined.

To keep things fresh on your sparring sessions there are different environments to box in and a Youtube search feature if you’re looking for a particular video to punch along to. Plus, compete with your friends or others around the world with the leaderboard.

Climbey

A simple and surprisingly tough VR climbing game, Climbey from Brian Lindenhof strips out all the fancy textures of other games of its genre and focuses on the best thing about these games, scaling a massive and bizarrely shaped structure like a spider monkey.

Featuring a ton of handcrafted and community-created maps, Climbey has a wealth of cliff faces, steep overhangs, and perilous pits to dangle above. You can tackle it solo, or bring in a big group of friends and try to be the first one to beat each map. Plus, to add a touch of personality to your particular climber, there are plenty of cute and funny cosmetic options to peruse through. Some climbs can be short, whilst others are quite lengthy, so make sure to limber up.

It's worth going through Climbey with friends as a big group of climbers can encourage each other and make things a bit more chaotic.

Yoga VR

If you’re looking for something a little less strenuous but still healthy, there’s always Yoga VR. This interesting virtual reality app promises the ultimate yoga experience from the comfort of your living room. Plus, it features a range of classes for different skill levels, so first-timers or veterans looking for a solid routine will feel right at home here.

Virtual instructors guide you through pose routines and there’s a unique body mapping system that leaves your hands free as you try to mimic the guide's stances without having to worry about wires and controllers. It also comes with calming environments and relaxing zen music drifting through the air, Yoga VR is great for improving your physical and mental health.

Skiing VR

Not everyone has the luxury of living next to a snowy mountain or the ability to fund trips to the slopes, but that’s where Skiing VR comes in. Developed by DGMA, this snowy wonderland provides an exciting arcade spin on your regular fitness games.

There are multiple game modes from casual runs to pulse-pounding, arm-aching races that can be done alone or with a group of friends. Navigate the slopes at night, or explore in free roam and find your own ways to get down those slopes. Great for working on your core and building up stamina, Skiing VR brings the cold slopes to your cozy living room for a relatively cheap price.

Gym Class - Basketball VR

Work up a sweat as you dribble down the court and sink a satisfying dunk in the basket with Gym Class Basketball VR. This Oculus exclusive features state-of-the-art physics systems for ball handling, so you feel like you’re controlling the chaotic orb as you dance around the court.

There’s a practice mode if you want to improve your skills, and plenty of public courts that will pair you up with other players from around the planet. Or you can set up a friendly match with your mates. With tons of customization options including accessories, your b-baller can look pretty stylish as they take those nerve-wracking half-court shots.

Blaston

Never stand still is the one rule of the game in Blaston. This fast-paced PVP shooter places you and another player mere feet from each other. With a wall of weapons within short grabbing distance, it doesn’t take long for the firefight to get pretty frantic and physically exhausting.

You can’t move from your spot so your only option is to dodge and with so many projectiles coming at you, it can make for a great workout in VR. Available on the Quest, this fun FPS has a lot of style and plenty of variety to keep each sweat-inducing session fresh. Plus, it’s free to play, all you need is the right headset and a decent amount of space to go wild.

Blaston can be played sitting down, but staying static can make you a much easier target for the other player you're facing off against.