Popular VR fitness app FitXR introduced a new mode called Flow Studio, expanding its lineup of workout offerings that already includes Boxing, Combat, HIIT, Sculpt, Dance, Zumba, and Slam.
Flow Studio brings a familiar format to the platform. Users move through rhythm-based sequences, smashing balloon-like targets with handheld bats while crouching and lunging under incoming obstacles set at different heights and angles.
But this isn’t just another workout mode.
FitXR co-founder and CEO Sam Cole told me the decision to build Flow Studio came together quickly following changes in the VR fitness landscape, particularly around uncertainty with Supernatural’s future.
“After obviously hearing the news of Supernatural… we felt like you just had to go visit their Facebook page to see how much it means to that community,” Cole told me.
That reaction is hard to miss. For many users, flow-style workouts weren’t just another option. They were the routine. And within that community, the concern was palpable.
These aren’t casual users. Many rely on these workouts as their primary form of exercise, and even the possibility of that changing creates real uncertainty.
For users who have built long-term routines around VR fitness, stability matters as much as innovation.
Rather than guessing what users wanted, FitXR went directly to them. Cole said the team spoke with “loads and loads of Supernatural members… power users” to understand what they valued most and what they would miss if the experience went away. One answer kept coming up. “The Flow Studio just came out so, so clearly as one of the top things that they wanted,” he said.
The speed of the rollout is notable. While the concept had been prototyped internally for years, the decision to bring it to market was driven by the moment.
I’m part of the exact group FitXR is targeting here. My weekly routine has been split across multiple apps, including Supernatural, FitXR, and others. Flow workouts were always the one thing I couldn’t really replace. Boxing exists everywhere. Flow doesn’t.
The timing makes sense. Given the uncertainty around Supernatural, FitXR is stepping in at a moment when users are actively looking for what comes next. Rather than trying to convince new users that VR fitness works, it’s focused on giving existing users a way to continue something they were already doing.
Flow Studio is launching as a starting point, not a finished system. Cole emphasized that the goal was to move quickly, even if that meant shipping without every feature users might expect on day one.
“We wanted to get something out there fast and then we will treat it as iterative,” he said.
That approach follows a pattern for FitXR, which has leaned on continuous updates and user feedback since its initial launch as BoxVR in 2017.
“This has been the journey of FitXR since we launched… just evolving and evolving and evolving,” Cole said.
Flow Studio also lands as part of a broader shift inside the app. Cole pointed to upcoming changes in visual design, including a move toward more realistic environments while still keeping some of the stylized elements FitXR is known for.
At the same time, the company is thinking beyond headsets, with plans to support users across devices and future form factors. “We really want to be able to serve the customer that we know so well… wherever they are,” he said.
Underneath all of this is a bigger bet on VR fitness itself. Cole doesn’t see the space as saturated, but still early. “It’s definitely a rising tide at the moment… we’re growing the size of the pie,” he said.
That thinking shows up in how FitXR is approaching Flow Studio. This isn’t just about adding a feature or competing for users. It’s about keeping people engaged in VR fitness at all.
Because once that habit breaks, it’s hard to replace. When FitXR asks users what would happen if VR fitness disappeared, Cole said “the vast majority say I’d go back to sitting on the couch.”
After spending some time with a pre-release version of Flow Studio, it’s clearly built around the established flow workout formula.
The core mechanics will feel familiar. Targets follow FitXR’s existing color system, with blue on the left and yellow on the right, paired with matching bats in each hand. That continuity helps the mode settle in quickly, especially for existing FitXR users.
The choreography isn’t as refined or intricate as what Supernatural built at its peak, but it doesn’t need to be. The sessions I tried were more than enough to elevate my heart rate into the red zone and sustain it. From a fitness standpoint, it delivers. And like much of FitXR, it feels positioned to improve over time as the team refines what makes flow workouts work.
What matters more is that the full-body movement is there. Flow workouts work because they force you to move through space, not just hit targets. Squatting, lunging, and shifting laterally are all part of the experience, and Flow Studio captures that foundation.
One area where FitXR may have an advantage is in how it handles obstacles. Instead of the triangular shapes used in Supernatural, Flow Studio uses arches that you duck under or move around. They’re easier to read at a glance, which helps keep you in rhythm without hesitation.
That could make a difference, particularly for newer users who may have struggled with interpreting movement cues in other apps. More importantly, it ties directly to the bigger challenge Cole kept coming back to. Not just getting people into VR fitness, but keeping them there.
If Flow Studio does what it’s aiming to do, it won’t just feel familiar. It’ll be something users return to daily or weekly as part of their routine.
I captured gameplay video from my time with the pre-release build of Flow Studio
