【Terms of service】

The Terms of serviceoriginal idea behind the VirZoom was brilliant: a stationary bike that lets you exercise while cycling through various virtual reality environments.

The problem is that the number of people with the high-end VR headsets needed to use the VirZoom bike is still fairly small compared to the smartphone market.

The solution? Bring the VR biking system to mobile.

SEE ALSO: Oculus Rift gamers now have a VR esports league

The new version of the VirZoom system pairs a removable sensor that can be attached to the peddle crank arm of any traditional stationary bike, and uses a Samsung Gear VR headset and a free mobile version of the VirZoom app to allow users to peddle their way through different VR environments. Like the high-end version, the VirZoom app gamifies biking, encouraging you to bike toward various targets and achievements.

The small, lightweight VZ Sensor contains an accelerometer that allows it to track the user's peddling motions, while the new Samsung Gear VR handheld controller can be used with the VirZoom app to aim and shoot at targets in the app while riding. When you want to turn the bike in a certain direction, you simply lean your head (while wearing the Gear VR) in the desired direction.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

I had a chance to test the system out last week, and it not only works, it was far more fun (thanks to the immersive VR landscapes) than a normal session of spinning.

But the biggest reason the VZ Sensor and VirZoom mobile app has me excited is related to price. With the original system, you first needed to buy a PlayStation VR headset (and console), an Oculus Rift, or an HTC Vive headset, and the VR-ready computer required to use the latter two headsets. Depending on configurations, some of those options could cost you up to $1,500.

But the $99 VZ Sensor, when paired with the Gear VR and controller at $130, and a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+, makes peddling in VR immediately affordable. And because the sensor is easily removable using a slip-on strap, you don't even need to buy a regular stationary bike — yep, you can take the VZ Sensor to the gym and attach it to any stationary bike you want.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Sweating into your pricey Oculus or Vive VR headset may be okay when it comes to light gaming, but when it comes to serious spinning, it's a bit more comforting know that if you drench your wearable VR headset in sweat and something goes wrong, using the VZ Sensor and Gear VR, you haven't suddenly ruined an $800 VR headset.

The only downside off all this is that, as of today, it's only available for pre-order and won't actually start shipping until October. Still, as a tool for turning your spinning workout into a distracting trip through effort-rewarding games in virtual landscapes as you burn off calories, this is a mobile device worth waiting for.

---

Featured Video For You

---

This waterproof bag can fit everything you need and can shrink to fit in your pocket

---

• Games
• Life
• Entertainment
• Science
• Social Good
• Digital Culture
• Tech
• Deals

• An Uneven Disaster
• Malaysia Airlines becomes first airline to track fleet with satellites
• 6 new Prince songs will be released on Friday
• F8 makes it abundantly clear that Facebook has ambitions way beyond your social network
• A March For the Marchers
• Starbucks barista goes on spectacularly angry rant about Unicorn Frappuccinos
• Tech CEOs are looking more and more like politicians
• Elephant astronauts on Mars won't happen, despite this ridiculous tweet
• The Book of No Despair
• Facebook F8 Day 2: AR glasses, brain typing, skin listening, and more

• CES 2025: Ling.ai debuts child
• WeChat removed from US’s so
• Honor denies claims that CEO Zhao Ming has resigned · TechNode
• WhatsApp is working on a personalized AI image generator
• Moon spacecraft beams back vivid photo before landing
• NASA's Voyager spacecraft: When will we receive the final transmission?
• iPhone umbrellas? This hack prevents auto
• Sinner vs. Kecmanovic 2024 livestream: Watch Wimbledon for free
• Best earbuds deal: Get Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for 39% off
• Best unlocked phone deal: Samsung Galaxy A35 5G

• Echoes of 1968
• This apple core could genuinely be the Eye of Sauron
• Rob Gronkowski crashes the White House press briefing to see if Sean Spicer needs any help
• You're gonna need some help recognizing this phishing scam
• Swords into Marketshare
• Early Samsung Galaxy S8 owners are seeing red ... screens, that is
• The internet is savaging the rhetoric of 'Australian values,' whatever those are
• Woman breaks into Drake's home and steals Pepsi from the world's thirstiest man
• The Moldbug Variations
• Rihanna's new jelly slides look like those cheap sandals found all over Asia

• Conflict Irresolution
• Please enjoy all the creative ways these students have managed to waste time
• 'Go Go Power Rangers' comic shows a new side of the super teenagers
• Lynk & Co's sedan concept boasts free internet
• The Arendt Center’s Dark Thinking
• Samantha Bee fixes Bill O'Reilly's 'apology' in one perfect tweet
• This '13 Reasons Why' meme will have you cringing over your teen photos
• Instagram will soon work offline on your Android phone
• Bolsonaro Rising
• Wingman is the dating app that lets you play matchmaker for your friends