Black Box VR updating virtual reality fitness software

Sharon Fisher//November 27, 2019//

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photo of black box vr — A conference attendee tries out the Black Box VR system earlier this year. Photo by Sharon Fisher

Black Box VR is developing a new version of its virtual reality fitness software that includes more exercises and the ability to share progress on social media.

The new version is expected to come out in mid-December – just in time for the rush of New Year’s fitness resolutions, said Jim Bradbury, general manager of the Boise-based company.

Plans for a Washington, D.C.-based facility using the company’s virtual reality software have been pushed back a month or two to early next year, but that will also provide time to ensure that the new version of the software will be in place and functioning smoothly, Bradbury said.

Black Box opened a standalone facility in San Francisco earlier this year and a facility in The Gym Eighth & Main, in Boise, on Aug. 28. The Washington, D.C., facility is expected to also be part of a larger gym.

Exercising with VR technology is said to have advantages, including a significant decrease in heart rate, pain intensity and perceived exertion, leading to a significant increase in time to exhaustion, according to 2018 research from the University of Kent.