Practicing basketball in real life can be quite embarrassing. Rude onlookers can shout "brick!" when you miss a shot. A passerby may chuckle at your awkward dribbling. Well, thanks to an upcoming game hitting the Quest Store soon, you no longer need to suffer from slam-dunk self-consciousness.
Gym Class VR is a game that's been the talk of the town on the Meta Quest App Lab, a hub that lets developers distribute experimental versions of their games to the VR community. Though Gym Glass VR is currently in beta, it earned 4.9 stars among 14,000 reviews.
When will Gym Class VR launch in the Quest Store?
Gym Class VR is poised to officially hit the Quest Store this fall, thanks, in part, to $8 million in seed round funding from Andreesen Horowitz (a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm). Since its release last year, Gym Class VR attracted nearly one million organic downloads due to word of mouth and community content creation. This VR basketball game must be doing something right!
“Gym Class is more than a game; it's a digital sport.” Gym Class co-founder and Chief Product Officer Paul Katsen said in a press release. "It lets you dunk like a pro, become a basketball star, watch, compete, cheer, and get involved in the whole experience of the sport. Just like with real sports, we believe digital sports will see thriving global communities, leagues, entertainment and events, fashion, commerce, fitness, and more."
Why people are raving about Gym Class VR
Gym Class VR is on the verge of becoming a viral sensation on TikTok. The hashtag #gymclassVR garnered a whopping 64 million views on the addictive social media platform. What is it about this game that's attracting digital athletes and viewers? It could be any of the cool features below.
- Gym Class VR utilizes realistic basketball mechanics and physics, so you can shoot, grab, block, jump and sprint — just like you would in the real world.
- The game is highly immersive, allowing users to jump like Jordan.
- Gym Class VR is a social game. You can meet and compete with other digital athletes from all over the world. There are 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 competitive game modes.
- It's convenient. No need to put on your basketball gear and step outside. You can play in your underwear and your opponents would be none the wiser.
- It's a great workout. The folks behind Gym Class claim that users lost 300 calories per sampled session.
On top of that, you can personalize, customize and accessorize the in-game full-body avatars.
For those with an entrepreneurial spirit, monetization is available, too. You can sell skins and accessories. There's reportedly a "deep demand" for identity differentiation via cosmetics among Gym Class players.
Don't want to miss out on all the basketball fun? Snag the Quest 2. Trust me — you won't regret it. It's one of the best VR headsets you can get.
