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VR fitness service FitXR is set to make some changes in response to backlash over its shift to a subscription-based model.
The app, which was rebranded from the original BoxVR game in 2020, introduced a monthly subscription plan alongside Meta’s own support for the feature on Quest in April of this year. The app became free to download and charged $9.99/£7.99 a month for features like daily workouts and new exercise types, like the recent launch of HIIT routines.
But many fans expressed disappointment with the move, which removed the existing structure of premium DLC drops, even if they kept access to the existing content they’d purchased and got a three-month free trial of the subscription. The app’s user rating has since dropped to 3 stars on the Oculus Store, with many users stating that most features are locked out to them.
In an email sent to customers today, FitXR CEO Sam Cole acknowledged that the app’s user experience wasn’t working with many customers and that DLC packs had been an important part of the experience for many.
“We’re really sorry that we didn’t get your feedback originally,” the email reads. “We can’t undo our mistakes, but we can make sure we learn from them. You’ll be involved in our decisions going forward, and your feedback will shape the future of FitXR.”
In response to the backlash, Cole revealed that an update going live today would change the ‘Legacy’ UI so that existing customers only see the content they had access to and not locked workouts that prompt people to subscribe. The app will also rerelease all of its previous DLC packs for free over the course of the next week. Finally, FitXR is committing to a free, full-length class for everyone once a month.
The subscription model will remain, which Cole insisted was the “right” decision for the service.
Do these FitXR changes work for you? Let us know in the comments below.
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Jamie has been covering the VR industry since 2014 having come from a gaming and technology background. While he loves games, he’s most interested in experiential VR that explores narrative, human connection and other such themes. He’s also the host of Upload’s VR Showcases, which you should definitely watch.
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