Creative Pursuits: Oculus Quest 2

For my 63rd Christmas birthday, I scored an Oculus Quest 2. The price drop to $299.00 on the 128 MB Virtual Reality headset unit clinched the deal. The unit was actually in my hands before Christmas, because YAY - sorry kids, we adults can do that. 

Have YOU had a VR headset experience yet? Those who were involved in bringing this VR experience to us (along with the people behind the technical applications) are a testament to creative engineering. Human ingenuity begins with a thought. Bringing those concepts to life is a form of artistry in itself.

Anyway, I've been watching the VR market for years because not only do I find technology super interesting, I love the idea of the 360-degree immersive concept. Initially, I wanted a VR headset because it would be a cool form of downtime gaming entertainment, little did I know that it's actually WAAAY more than that.

Since the pandemic, my activity levels have dropped. Creating art didn’t help that situation since it primarily utilizes brain power and doesn't require much in regard to the range of motion. Not a good time to sign up for a gym membership, which isn't conveniently located for me anyway. Along with pandemic stress, self-motivation became an issue.  I love the flow of creative movement but, I couldn’t even regularly motivate myself to dance (as I had done regularly), everything turned into a discombobulated hit-and-miss situation. Knowing how important movement is, I had to do something. I needed something new. Time to enter the world of Virtual Reality.

Once I received the headset, I purchased a few games that required movement and looked fun. Immediately my two faves were The Thrill of The Fight! and Audio Trip. The Thrill of The Fight! is a boxing app that is great for cardio. Yes, it’s annoying they have no female fighters there to pick from, but it’s still a decent workout. Audio Trip is a blast and is a great workout, too. It’s my current favorite of the 2. In Audio Trip you’re listening to music and you’re hitting target objects to the beat that are coming at you, along with some squatting and dipping side to side. Beginner levels all the way up to cardio levels, it’s a fab workout. It’s tricky at first to get the hang of it, but once you do, that is when the fun begins. I could certainly feel the workout I got from these two apps.

Enter the New Year. I’m starting 2022 with a free trial followed by a subscription to Supernatural and I’m dead serious, I could NOT be happier with this and I’m just starting. OMFG! This thing will KICK YOUR FREAKIN’ ASS! I’ve already done two workouts today and I want to do more but I know that if I did, I may not be able to work out tomorrow. This fitness app is incredible. The scenery is amazing and the addition of coaches that teach you the moves with proper form is sweet. The coaches also provide motivation as you work out. I’ve never worked with a trainer before but now I can understand how it helps. I’ve only had my headset for nearly a month before starting Supernatural and I feel stronger already, I can only imagine how I may feel a year from now when it’s time to renew my subscription, provided I stick with the program. Can’t see why I wouldn't stick with a program that offers a big library of workouts, an assortment of coaches, a variety of intensities, and new workouts are added regularly.  I simply cannot imagine a gym membership outside of my home would be as much fun as this is. Nope. This is addictive. And, if you've ever been a gamer - this gets you off your ass and makes you feel like you're inside and part of the video game.

Why is an artist writing excitedly about VR and fitness? The top reason is that health and self-care are important. When I'm not feeling great or I'm stressed out it's very difficult to be creatively motivated to make art. Exercise is a stress buster and frees me up to make MORE art. And, self-care is a good thing.

Creative and art-related apps I have for the Oculus Quest 2 are as follows:
SculptrVR, Tilt Brush, Gravity Sketch, and Kingspray Graffiti

Exciting creative tools, even though I've only touched the surface. Up to now, I’ve played with Tilt Brush the most. Drawing and writing in the air all around you is so much fun! No doubt the apps I already have will provide loads of artsy entertainment in the future. It’s a great tool for working out - yet these creative applications surprised me.

I’ve been out of the gaming arena for a good decade now. The last gaming adventure I played regularly was Resistance Fall Of Man and prior to that, it was the Zelda series. Those games were a giant leap from the PONG game I started with. So, I’ve pretty much witnessed the progression that’s been made from the beginning. Virtual Reality is a giant leap in gaming and entertainment tech.

What I love the most about this entire VR thing is that I can pick it up whenever I want and immerse myself in another world immediately. One of the first apps I played around with had me sitting on the couch and fishing. The 360-degree view blew me away. Seeing videos of these VR worlds on YouTube or elsewhere is a far cry from putting on the headset and experiencing it for yourself.

I am very excited to see where this technology goes. So there is another good reason to keep it up because I want to stay alive for the next amazing iteration of VR technical advances that are surely coming. My inner geek is anticipating the headset units themselves will get smaller and lighter, and many more advanced applications will be developed.

There is power in having fun, letting things go, and playing hard… no matter your age!
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