James Bentley spent 30 days doing daily VR workouts on a Meta Quest 3 — what changed

PC Gamer hardware writer James Bentley spent a month exercising in VR, starting on the first day of January with a Meta Quest 3 and a self-imposed rule to do at least 25 minutes of VR workouts each day tracked by his Apple Watch exercise ring. He rotated between apps that got him moving—Beat Saber, Synth Riders, Pistol Whip—and a FitXR regimen focused on boxing, combat exercise and HIIT.

Bentley found Beat Saber easy to slip into and FitXR the most effective at raising his heart rate and teaching punch and footwork form. Practical downsides included headset sweat and frequent readjusting, plus space issues at home around his partner. To make sessions fit into daily life he started using mixed-reality modes so he could watch TV peripherally between rounds.

After 30 days Bentley said working up a light sweat in VR felt natural and sessions of 30–60 minutes no longer seemed like wasted time. He reported losing six or seven pounds, eating more protein and snacking less, cancelling his Uber Eats and even signing up for a new subscription as part of the habit shift.

He also hit clear milestones: day nine brought a challenging HIIT session that left him gasping, and he noticed real-life benefits such as finding the steep hill up to his flat easier to climb. But he cautioned that VR demands full attention, which can invite boredom, and that writing the piece helped hold him accountable.

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