Litesport VR Turns One: Join Us in Celebrating Our First Anniversary
Litesport VR turns one on March 3, 2023! It’s been a full year of workouts in the metaverse — and it’s amazing all that can happen in a year. From March 2022 to today we’ve seen a lot of exciting updates, features, workouts, and more.
To celebrate our 1st birthday (and almost one million downloads!), join us as we take a look back at the past year with Litesport VR and all we’ve accomplished together.
Top VR Fighters by Punch Count
Although we’re all champions, there are a few fighters who hit the ground running with Litesport VR and went extra hard this first year. Here are the Litesporters who’ve logged the most VR workout punches across the past year, putting them right at the top of the VR Leaderboard:
- @ScottK2055: 1,029,742
- @CodedParticles: 654,230
- @CanadianLynx: 489,491
- @ShawnC3067: 488,955
- @Skmbagg: 356,933
Get to Know VR Super User: Jose M
And speaking of top VR users, we want to introduce you to our number two fighter in the Litesport VR community. Meet Jose M., who goes by @CodedParticles. With a 28-week max streak, over 600,000 punches, 20+ badges, 90+ Match wins, and over 380 leaderboard top 10s, it’s not hard to see why Jose is a VR super user.
He discovered Litesport in May of 2022 after scrolling through the Meta Quest store—and was immediately hooked. Jose works out twice a day every day with Litesport. He loves practicing his boxing combos alongside supportive Trainers who are right there with him during the workout.
“Truly from the bottom of my heart, every single trainer in Litesport is a phenomenal motivator. Each one with their own charisma and charm but most importantly commitment to [keeping] you motivated through whatever struggle you’re facing, whether mental or physical. I felt like they knew when you need that extra push on the tough parts of their routine…”
Thanks to his consistent workout routine and healthier eating habits, Jose shared in our Litesport Facebook group that he’s lost over 17 pounds in 4 months. He keeps coming back day after day because he loves how there’s always new content available, like our rotating selection of 500+ Punch Tracks. He also loves how realistic the workouts feel compared to a real-world boxing workout.
"What I love most about [Litesport] is the realistic combinations. Every other app that I’ve used — FitXR and Les Mills Body Combat — whenever [they use] combinations, some of them just seem unrealistic."
We’re proud to be Jose’s first choice when it comes to getting in a great workout. And we’re incredibly thankful to him for all the feedback he’s given our team so far. It’s thanks to VR fighters like Jose that Litesport VR continues to grow and improve. We’re looking forward to following this fighter as he continues his health journey in a brand new year with Litesport VR.
You can get to know Jose and other Litesport fighters by joining our Litesport Facebook community. Or head to the Community Hub where you can search for new fighters (like @CodedParticles!) and challenge them to a head-to-head Match.
Top VR Workouts
So, we’ve talked about our top fighters in the Litesport VR community. But what about top workouts? There are several workout options in Litesport including Punch Tracks, Trainer Classes, Sparring Sessions, Mitt Drill, Total Body, and our brand-new Strength Modality debuting this March. But some workouts are more popular than others.
Here are those shining stars, with the most plays across this first year.
Top 3 VR Punch Tracks
So what exactly were we punching to in our first year with Litesport VR? Well, since launching Litesport VR we’ve added some exciting new artists to our Punch Track Library like Machine Gun Kelly, Sam Smith, Kim Petras, Selena Gomez, Marshmello, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and more.
But the real winners were our top 3 most popular VR Punch Tracks, with the most plays across the past year:
- "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd
- "Believer" by Imagine Dragons
- "X Gon' Give It To Ya" by DMX
Top 3 VR Trainer Classes
You’ve also spent a lot of time in our first year with Litesport VR year hanging out with our best-in-class Trainers. But some of the all-time favorites include these top 3 most-played VR Trainer Classes:
- 10 min Express Hip Hop • GW (released 10/9/22)
- 20 min Mixtape • Jill (released 8/28/22)
- 10 min Express Mixtape • Anthony (released 12/25/22)
Top 3 VR Mill Drill Workouts
We launched Mitt Drills in April of this past year. This workout mimics pad or focus mitt training with your Trainer right there in front of you guiding your punches and coaching you on correct form. It’s the next best thing to having a Trainer right there in the room with you.
And it didn’t take long for you to add Mitt Drill workouts into your routine. But these Mitt Drills stood out at the top as the most played across the past year:
- 2 Song Mitt Drill Mixtape with GW
- 2 Song Mitt Drill Hip Hop with Jill
- 3 Song Mitt Drill Classic Rock Beginner with Myles
Top 5 VR Total Body Workouts
We also introduced Total Body workouts to VR back in late September. And you wasted no time pressing play and building up a sweat in this first-ever virtual reality full-body workout. This new VR experience got your arms and legs moving with new dynamic and interactive elements including battle ropes, speed bags, duck ropes, and more.
These were the 3 most popular Total Body workouts with the most plays across the past few months:
- 3 Song Total Body Pop Beginner • Max (released 11/25/22)
- 2 Song Total Body Dance Pop • Lissa (release 12/6/22)
- 2 Song Total Body Reggaeton Beginner • JD (released 1/6/23)
New VR Features & Updates
We’re only one year into Litesport VR, yet we’ve already made a lot of exciting new changes and updates to improve your VR workout experience. Here are some of the upgrades and new features we’ve added to Litesport VR across our first year:
Gesture Scrolling
Instead of having to grab a scroll bar, we updated the Litesport VR experience in April to include gesture scrolling functionality. This means you can scroll and swipe the Litesport VR screen and other elements just like you would a phone or tablet. Making navigation that much easier (and far more intuitive).
Free Basic Subscription
When we launched VR in March, we heard your feedback that you wanted a free version of the platform to get into the VR action without putting down any money. And that’s why we launched our Basic membership option in May.
With a Basic membership, you get access to a curated selection of 50+ free workout options to give you a taste of the Litesport VR experience. It includes 20-30 Punch Tracks with production music, 3 Sparring Sessions, 2 Trainer Classes, a handful of Mitt Drill workouts, 2 Total Body classes, 2 environments, and no credit card required.
Controller-free Hand Tracking
Litesport VR has been at the forefront of Quest 2’s controller-less hand-tracking upgrade since the beginning. This means you can square off in VR challenges and workouts without needing to grip hardware.
The hand-tracking software captures your movement for a controller-free experience. Or you can use Quest controllers for haptic feedback, which offers an extra tactile feel signaling you’ve hit the virtual Liteshield (your target!).
Playlist Builder
And starting in July, we gave Premium VR members access to create their own custom workout playlist. This means you can add, remove, reorder, and save all your favorite Litesport VR workouts in one place.
Add in your combination of Punch Tracks, Trainer Classes, Total Body, Mitt Drills, or Sparring Sessions. Then, reorder, remove, and save to customize the ultimate workout experience. With playlists, you can replay your favorite combination of workouts again and again. No more scrolling through the app to find your next workout between Punch Tracks or Mitt Drills.
Liteshield 2.0
The Liteshield is the centerpiece of your Litesport workout. That’s why our team was heads down in our first year of VR working hard to build a shield that felt like you were really hitting something. And that’s hard to do when you’re punching the air! But with Liteshield 2.0, that goal comes to life.
In September we unveiled Liteshield 2.0 to all VR users. This 3D model has more depth to it, and physics built in so that when you punch, the pads move as if they’re absorbing the impact. The pads also respond differently depending on the speed of your punch. When combined with haptic feedback plus visual and sound effects, Liteshield 2.0 delivers a much more satisfying experience.
Total Body Debuts on The View
And in September, former Bachelor and Litesport Brand Ambassador Matt James joined Sara Haines on The View to talk about all things Litesport. During the show, they also debuted our latest VR workout experience: Total Body.
Total Body workouts is a boot camp-style workout, designed to target your full body. This new VR experience gets your arms and legs moving with dynamic and interactive elements including battle ropes, speed bags, duck ropes, and more. Like Mitt Drills, Total Body workouts position your Trainer right in front of you in the metaverse, guiding your every move and providing clear, expert instruction.
Community Hub
In November, we debuted a dedicated space for all things community in our brand-new in-app Community Hub. In the Community Hub, you can see what’s new in VR.
You can also view your active or pending Matches, find and follow other fighters, get access to a list of suggested followers, try and beat our Trainers' high scores, and more. This makes it easier than ever for new (and veteran!) VR members to find, follow, and engage with other fighters in the community.
New VR World in the Litesport Mobile App
In November we also launched a new version of our mobile app featuring a world for our VR fighters. This means you can plan your next VR workout straight from the Litesport mobile app on your phone or tablet.
All you have to do is select VR on the mobile app’s home screen and you can browse VR-only workouts, save your favorite classes, create workout playlists, view your past activity, update your profile, and more. This lets you personalize your VR workout experience without putting on your VR headset.
Brand New Studio Environment
We also debuted a brand-new sunset high-rise studio environment at the start of December. This forever sunset studio environment features a lighter, brighter, bigger, and more immersive studio with a “just before sunset” golden hour feel.
With the last of the evening sun shining through the window, you'll find that it’s an inspiring place to work out. And that means for our Premium members, you now have 5 environments to choose from: Litesport Studio, Trainer Stage, Boxing Ring, Hangar, and Fitness club.
Passthrough A/R Mode Available to All Users
Lastly, in December we made the A/R (Augmented Reality) passthrough mode available for all users, premium and basic. Passthrough mode is a Meta Quest feature on Litesport VR that allows you to step outside your view of virtual reality to see a real-time view of your surroundings—without ever taking off your headset. In other words, it blends your physical and virtual environments for an A/R (augmented reality) experience.
With augmented reality layering Litesport on top of your real-world experience it feels like your Trainer is right there in front of you in your living room. Not only does this offer an unparalleled workout but it also has some safety benefits. With A/R mode on, you’re less likely to accidentally bump into or hit kids or pets running around the house.
Fitness Up-Leveled with Color Passthrough (Liteboxer)
by u/BostonBot in OculusQuest
Join Litesport & Help Us Reach One Million Downloads
It’s been quite the ride this first year — and we want to thank you for being a part of it! You’ve been working hard in the metaverse to beat your personal best, win Matches, earn a few badges, and top the leaderboards. And we can’t wait to see what you accomplish as we head into year two with Litesport VR.
Join us in the community, follow us on social, and head to our blog for even more. And if you haven’t tried a workout yet on Litesport VR, join us today and help us reach our goal of one million downloads.