New Equipment Recommendations

Dr Obbins

I have been looking into VR for a little while and the more I look the more interested I get. Currently I live in a small town with not much going for it. Single at 56, I find myself sitting around eating and putting on weight. Things to do are hours away, so I am looking into virtual things to do in the evenings with out hours driving.

My goals are to get off the couch and move around. I thought about VR hiking and the treadmill look interesting. Always like movies and used to have a home theater. Gaming is somewhat interesting, but not into violence too much. I know that knocks out most games.

What I am looking for is recommendations on equipment. You know the routine - best equipment with out spending a lot. Can you point me in a direction? Any good advise is welcome.

Presuming Ed

Good plan!

First of all it might be an idea for people to suggest games / experiences then work out which equipment is best for them.

The first thing that springs to mind is Beat Saber for getting moving, if you're into music and have a bit of rhythm.

I don't think there are any established VR treadmills yet, I might be wrong.

There's a lot more to VR games than violence though.

VR lends itself very well to cockpit based simulators so if you're into flying, space or driving / motor racing you could look in those directions. It would mean extra hardware though - a wheel, pedals, flight stick (generally referred to as HOTAS) etc.

thesnowdog

There are plenty of good games available that will help you get a little exercise. Beat Saber, Thrill Of The Fight, Apollo Creed, Box VR and many others but even playing shooters etc standing up will get you a little bit of exercise.

There's an exercise bike thing available (VRoom I think it's called) but I've no idea whether it's any good) but I don't remember there being any treadmills available apart from Virtuix Omni but I think they might be offering those to businesses only rather than home consumers.

Dr Obbins

Yea, I read that VR treadmill aren't ready for prime time yet. So I bought a traditional treadmill, but the worst part of one is boredom. So I am thinking about VR goggles and hiking trails. Know of any good websites that offer this? I know that sooner or later, I'll be playing games. any recommendations on goggles and websites?

Nivek TT

The Oculus Quest is about the best place to start with VR, especially if you don't have a gaming PC and now with Oculus Link you can even supplement it with a gaming PC further down the road.

Must add though, some VR games can get quite physical but I'm not a fan of a sweaty face in a VR headset.

I've heard success stories of people simply playing a very social game like World of Warcraft while sat at an exercise bike. Making new friends and having weight loss success.

Presuming Ed

I'm not sure that panting 40  year old men, on gaming platforms that may include youngsters, are all that well received. They might not make many new friends, and might want to be vigilant about those they do make.

Nivek TT

@Presuming Ed I hope your tongue was firmly in cheek there

Some gaming communities can be toxic; however, I find many gaming communities to be very diverse and inclusive, especially those built around cooperative games such as WoW, or Eve Online or even Planetside 2 in recent memory. Keeping to WoW, there are guilds out there for everyone and most are very open to new members in order to keep going through inevitable membership turnover.

In spite of what the headlines would have you believe, not every middle aged gent online is a paedophile. I'm not currently part of any online communities, a young family means I don't have the time to invest in the relationships, but when I have been I have really enjoyed the diversity of the group and sharing experiences with people I have very little common ground with outside of gaming. People of all ages, genders, nations, etc., etc..

Presuming Ed

@Nivek TT It was. Sometimes my reluctance to use emojis maybe inhibits my ability to communicate in that way.

... no .... still can't bring myself to use silly smiling face ...

It only takes half a Beat Saber song for me to become a panting 40  year old man myself.

And I promise I mean playing the game, as opposed to watching stuff like this.

Nivek TT

Think it was this story that inspired my earlier comment:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Losing Weight with World of Warcraft                                                                                                        Did you ever imagine that you could lose weight just by playing a computer game? Well, know that this is possible. A World of Warcraft fan managed to do ...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                news.softpedia.com

aoaaron

If you wanna get a bit more active get an oculus quest   beat sober   thrill of the fight   sports scramble and play them in a big area.