Hey VR fitness fans! With mixed reality, you can bring virtual workout elements into a view of your own room. In PowerBeatsVR on compatible Quest hardware, passthrough lets you see your surroundings while you follow the music and respond to the workout.
If you enjoy your playlist but prefer keeping the room in view, it’s a feature worth exploring. Here’s how it fits into the experience and what to check before your first session.
The workout, with a different view
Fully immersive VR surrounds you with a virtual environment. Mixed reality uses a camera view of the room with virtual elements added to it. You’re still moving your real arms and legs; the presentation changes.
In PowerBeatsVR, you can use official workouts or generate sessions from supported local songs. Choose the difficulty and the mix of punching, dodging and squatting, then use the Quest mixed-reality view if that suits you.
The view depends on your headset. Quest 2’s passthrough differs from the color passthrough on newer compatible devices. Our FAQ and your headset’s instructions cover the details for your setup.
Give the view a comfortable first try
Pick a familiar workout at comfortable settings. Compare passthrough and an immersive environment with a similar session, and notice which helps you feel oriented and focused.
Some players like keeping the room visible; others prefer the virtual surroundings. You can choose the presentation you enjoy without changing every workout setting at the same time. Neither view guarantees a better workout or freedom from discomfort.
Clear the space, whichever view you choose
PowerBeatsVR lists at least 2 × 1.5 metres of clear playspace, with room for your full reach. Remove obstacles, use controller straps and set the boundary according to your headset’s guidance.
Passthrough doesn’t make a smaller area safe or guarantee you’ll notice a person or pet entering it. Keep the area clear, and pause and remove the headset whenever you need to attend to someone else.
Other mixed-reality workouts to compare
LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT offers mixed-reality workouts on compatible Quest hardware, with coached martial-arts-inspired sessions. Its base app has no required subscription; optional content is available.
Synth Riders also offers Quest mixed reality with a dance-like movement style. Those are different ways to bring active play into the room, so compare the movements and format as well as the view.
Check that the feature belongs to the exact app version and headset you’re buying. PC recording tools such as LIV can composite a player into a video; that is separate from the passthrough view you see inside a Quest headset.
Bring your soundtrack along
PowerBeatsVR’s Quest workouts can use supported local music files. Prepare the files and permissions first using our music instructions, then choose the session you want. Streaming-service downloads aren’t direct music imports.
Explore PowerBeatsVR on Quest, and come tell us on Discord which view you prefer. We appreciate hearing how you make the workout your own.
See you in VR,
Team PowerBeatsVR
Header and in-article images are actual archived PowerBeatsVR captures; appearance may differ by platform and version.