Women are Driving the Fitness Boom in Mobile VR Headsets

Know how women are driving the fitness boom through mobile VR headsets

The demographics of virtual reality users are shifting. While it used to be mostly young males who enjoyed gaming, mobile VR devices are particularly appealing to a more diversified audience. According to one survey, one explanation for this is women's increased usage of VR fitness applications.

FitXR indicates a shift in VR consumers

FitXR, a virtual reality fitness program, perfectly illustrates this change. Initially offered as the "simple" VR game BoxVR, creators developed it into a virtual gym and included a subscription service.

They also launched virtual trainers and regularly offered VR classes in dance, HIIT, and martial arts. FitXR is now employing artificial intelligence to improve virtual training.

The target audience has developed alongside the organization. According to a Washington Post article, the average FitXR player has moved from an 18-year-old boy to a woman over 35. FitXR CEO Sam Cole credits this to an emphasis on exercise and word-of-mouth marketing.

Women have been testing their spouses' VR headsets, experimenting with fitness applications, and spreading the word to acquaintances. As a result, according to Cole, more users bought VR headgear like Meta Quest 2 as a fitness device rather than a gaming system.

Everyone wants VR fitness, including Meta, Pico, and Apple

Meta, ByteDance, and Apple have long recognized that a target audience for VR headsets is primarily interested in fitness. In 2021, Meta purchased the VR fitness studio Within, behind the Supernatural fitness app. However, the transaction took two years. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of the United States was worried about Meta's potential monopolistic position in VR fitness.

Meta eventually triumphed against the FTC in February 2023, and the deal was finalized. The lengthy legal struggle demonstrates the importance of the fitness business to the VR industry. Pico, a subsidiary of ByteDance, also pushed VR fitness applications and an inbuilt VR fitness tracker at the Pico 4's introduction.

However, the Apple Vision Pro mobile VR/AR headset revealed at this year's WWDC lacks fitness applications. However, this does not imply that Apple is unaware of the expanding market. According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to include a full VR or AR fitness service in the successor model to the Apple Vision Pro through a new service named "Fitness+."