VirZOOM is a virtual reality exercise bike that promises to help you get fit while enjoying VR gaming. Here’s our VirZOOM review.
What is VirZOOM?
VirZOOM is a folding VR bike controller that uses integrated sensors to measure your pedaling speed. The faster you pedal in the real world, the faster you’ll travel in whatever VR game you’re playing.
You download VirZOOM Arcade through Steam (or the official website), then hop on your VirZOOM trainer and start pedaling. The VirZOOM Arcade is free-to-play with your VirZOOM purchase and includes 6 arcade-style games. There are even multiplayer games you can play, complete with online matchmaking. More games are being patched into the Arcade on a regular basis.
You use the VirZOOM exercise bike while wearing a VR headset. Meanwhile, action buttons and a D-pad on the sides of the handlebars let you control the game you’re playing. You can also steer yourself in-game by leaning your body side-to-side.
Popular VirZOOM Arcade games available so far include Tank, where you drive a T-90 tank through a rugged landscape while competing with AI bots, and Pegasus, where you pilot a flying horse through an exciting virtual world.
The VirZOOM system is priced at $400. That price includes shipping. However, it does not include a virtual reality system. You’ll need to bring your own Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or Sony PlayStation VR system.
Is the VirZOOM really the future of exercise? You’ll learn more about the features in this innovative exercise bike below.
VirZOOM Features
Your VirZOOM purchase comes with the VirZOOM controller (the bike with gaming controller buttons) and the VirZOOM Arcade games. Here’s the features in each device:
VirZOOM VR Game Controller
Integrated speed and direction sensors, so the faster you pedal in the real world, the faster you’ll move in the real world (your tank or Pegasus will move faster, for example)
- Heart rate sensors
- Ten gameplay buttons with triggers on the handlebars
- 24” x 26” footprint when in use, which is small enough to fit in most living rooms or small spaces
- Bike folds in half for easy storage
- Weighs 39 pounds
- 8 tension control resistance settings (manual resistance settings, but are communicated to the game)
- Supports riders between 4’4” and 6’2” and up to 260 pounds
- “Near-silent operation”
- Connects to your devices through Bluetooth Low Energy
- PC controller emulator, letting you hook up your VirZOOM bike to compatible PC games (like VR games you bought or downloaded through Steam)
- Strava and Fitbit integration, letting you track your distance, heart rate, power usage, and average speed through the two popular fitness apps
- 1 year limited warranty on frame, 90 day limited warranty on components
VirZOOM Arcade
- Six different VR games with VirZOOM support, including Cowboy, Race Car, Tank, Pegasus, Helicopter, and Kayak
- Five workout modes available, including Quickplay, Timed Workout, Custom Workout, Award Challenge, and Hotseat
- Drop-in/Drop-out, and head-to-head (multiplayer) play across the same network
- Weekly leaderboards and fitness stat tracking
- New games and features patched into VirZOOM monthly for free
- Available to download through Steam and Oculus Home (may be added to the PlayStation Network in the future)
All VirZOOM customers also get access to VirZOOM online services, including performance tracking and goal setting along with multiplayer access and match making. You can track your progress over time and see yourself getting better and better.
VirZOOM Pricing
VirZOOM is available online through the official website as well as through Amazon. Wherever you buy, pricing is the same.
The VirZOOM is priced at $399.95 with free shipping to US addresses (free shipping on Amazon is available only for Prime customers). If you’re not a Prime customer, then you get free shipping when ordering through the official website.
The VirZOOM is currently only available for shipping to the United States and Canada. Canadian customers will need to pay an extra $100 (!) for shipping, bringing the total price up to $499.95 USD.
What Do Customers Have to Say About VirZOOM?
VirZOOM is generally well-reviewed online. The makers of VirZOOM are well-aware of all the criticisms – like the fact that some people think it’s gross to sweat in a VR headset. In response to that, they recommend buying a product like the VR Cover, or biking in front of a fan (which gives you the additional sensation of moving really fast).
On Amazon, the VirZOOM has just 14 reviews so far. 43% of those reviews are 5 star reviews, while 29% are 4 star reviews. Some of the pros and cons we learned from those reviews include:
Pros
- “I exercise harder and longer than I would without the VR”
- The bike is sturdy
- You can switch from VirZOOM games to other games while riding with the helmet on, even when they don’t specifically correspond to the bike
- “The best exercise bike I’ve used to date”
- Putting the bike together is easy, even if you’re not great at building things (takes about 20 to 30 minutes)
- Exercising is fun, easy, and entertaining
Cons
- The VirZOOM games don’t have the greatest graphics, especially compared to modern VR games on the Oculus, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR systems
- Some games can be a bit glitchy
- Low variety of games at this point (6 games available through VirZOOM Arcade, although you can play conventional VR games as well)
- Some people report motion sickness (VirZOOM addresses this issue in their FAQs section, stating that they’ve “worked really hard to minimize the risk of motion sickness”, and that most gamers don’t experience motion sickness).
Overall, most reviewers seem to like the bike. The main complaint is that people wish there were more games with a diverse range of features. Since the developers of VirZOOM released an SDK, we could see plenty of more games arriving in the future.
Who Makes the VirZOOM?
The VirZOOM is made by a company named VirZOOM, Inc. That company is located at the following address:
56 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
You can get in touch with the company by email at [email protected].
The company describes itself as “a team of AAA developers with years of experience creating blockbuster motion games like Guitar Hero and the Nintendo Wii”. That company has been giving live demonstrations of the VirZOOM since E3 2015. In June 2016, they released their first shipment, before opening for general retail orders in autumn 2016.
Should You Buy the VirZOOM?
The VirZOOM is an exercise bike that’s well-reviewed and equipped to handle your VR needs. It’s not a standalone system – you’ll need VR equipment to use the bike. However, once you have that equipment (like the Vive, Oculus, or a PlayStation VR headset), then you’re all set to experience the magical world of VR.
VirZOOM has even developed its own Arcade where you can play 6 different games – including riding a Pegasus over the mountains of a fantasy world or driving a tank across the battlefield. Games come complete with matchmaking multiplayer functionality, or you can just compete against yourself and AI opponents.
Ultimately, the VirZOOM is what happens when gamers want to exercise. It’s a new piece of exercise equipment, but it’s already generating a lot of attention from anyone who wants to get in shape while enjoying the visual stimulation of virtual reality gaming.
