The virtual reality workout service returned to Meta Quest headsets in early access this week. The independent studio plans new workouts, music catalog restorations and hardware updates.
Virtual reality fitness app Supernatural returned to Meta Quest headsets this week in early access as an independent company, CNET reported. Subscriptions cost $20 per month or $200 per year, returning the service to the pricing it had when it debuted in 2020, according to Engadget.
How the app returned
Earlier this year, Meta shut down the service, according to CNET, while Engadget reported that Meta paused new content for the software. The workout team subsequently separated from Meta to form an independent business called Supernatural Health, led by Chief Executive James Senior, who previously worked on virtual reality platforms at Meta.
Head of fitness and coach Leanne Pedante said user reaction led to the revival after fans circulated petitions asking for the service to return.
“It’s not every day you get to make a comeback, but thanks to the Supernatural community, that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Senior told Engadget.
Workouts, pricing and features
The early access release features thousands of rhythm-based, choreographed workouts guided by human coaches who speak to users during sessions. It also offers hundreds of music tracks and a new virtual environment modeled on a glacial lake. Up to four members of a household can share a single headset.
Returning subscribers can transfer their prior workout history, badges, points and streaks. Original founding members receive a $20 discount on the annual plan.
Music licensing agreements expanded over the past three weeks, Senior said. The service plans to restore its full previous music catalog and bring back songs removed from the Meta version over the prior 12 to 18 months due to licensing restrictions. The studio also remastered original workouts, adding application logic to address subtle clock drift across different Quest headset components. A dedicated comeback workout incorporates coaches discussing their shift to an independent studio alongside songs such as ‘Good Feeling’ by Flo Rida, ‘Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang, and ‘We are Family’ by Sister Sledge.
What happens next
Supernatural plans to release new workout sessions weekly, with the first new batch arriving at the end of the month. Additional virtual environments are scheduled to roll out in the coming weeks.
Other core features will return in stages. The team is testing a rebuild of its real-time workout system, which lets users exercise alongside friends online. A companion phone app that monitors workout progress and tracks heart rates is slated for release later this year.
Workouts currently rely on physical controllers to register movement, but the studio plans to introduce hand tracking in a future update. That change aligns with upcoming hardware. Meta plans to release a $1,299 glasses-style virtual reality device next spring that relies on a tethered processing unit the size of a phone and ships without handheld controllers. Meta also confirmed fit accessories are planned for the device to aid activities like workouts.
While Supernatural remains exclusive to Meta devices for now, the independent studio is evaluating other platforms, including SteamVR, Android XR, Google’s Xreal Aura glasses and Snap Specs.
