Modern game console for casual exercise

September 10, 2017 5:05 PM

I just want a modern console that helps me do fun physical activities when it's 105F+ outside. I liked the Wii well enough but I'd like something newer and more flexible. What do you recommend? And are new consoles just around the corner?

On the Wii, I enjoyed boxing, step aerobics, anything with swords, and occasionally the yoga and stuff. Now I'm intrigued by fighting games that use a camera, dance games, etc.

Other info: I do play other games, but these days it's mostly Steam. My big love is actually turn-based JRPGs, and as far as I can tell, no console has many of those because they're not cool anymore, or whatever. (This is why I still have a PS2.) I hate sports games, FPS, and MMOs. I don't know much about other console bells and whistles that might tip a decision one way or another. Having to buy a camera accessory or whatever is perfectly OK. And the console doesn't have to support many fitness titles per se, as long as it supports physical movement.

What should I buy? (Or are new systems on the horizon, meaning I should wait and buy one of those/get a current system at a marked-down price?)

posted by wintersweet to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total)

I don't think it's in vogue (at all, or ever was), but I have an Xbox with Kinect and love playing Dance Central on it.
posted by batter_my_heart at 6:27 PM on September 10, 2017

Only kinda of answer, but the Nintendo Switch head lots of turn based RPGs/JRPGs.
posted by pyro979 at 6:32 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

MS went all in on Kinect for the XBox One launch, but that fell apart pretty quickly and XBox Fitness was shut down last year. I don't think any of the other consoles are really doing anything in that space any more. There are several room scale VR games that are very physically active, but on the PC that's a lot of $$$ for something that's not exactly what you're looking for. Maybe some of the PSVR games would be worth a look?
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 6:40 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

PS4 and Xbox both have dance games that are aerobic, if that will do it for you. The PS4 one doesn't require a special camera if you hold your phone while dancing.
posted by tofu_crouton at 6:58 PM on September 10, 2017

PS3 with move controllers and sports champions 1 and 2. It's like wii but 100x more accurate. Seriously, when I play table tennis the bad habits I have in real life are exactly the same in the game, no joke. And ultimate frisbee is so zen.
posted by Huck500 at 9:12 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

I would go for boosting your PC and doing Vive VR. It's expensive yeah, but it amazing.
There's a musical boxing game (sound shield or something?) that had me exhausted like Wii never had!
posted by Iteki at 5:46 AM on September 11, 2017

Response by poster: NB: Since a couple people have mentioned it, I have a Mac and don't want a PC. Thanks though!
posted by wintersweet at 8:21 AM on September 11, 2017

You can get a PS4 with the very Wii-like Move controller. (If you want to spend the money you can also buy a PSVR which is very fun.) On top of that it's a very JRPG-heavy console. In particular you can play Persona 5, an absolutely astoundingly incredible JRPG, easily among the best ever made.
posted by vogon_poet at 7:42 PM on September 11, 2017

The most physically wiped out I've been after playing a Wii game was with Samba de Amigo. (This is a Guitar Hero-esque rhythm game, but with Wiimotes stuffed inside plastic maracas, instead of a guitar.) If you can groove to some funky Latin beats, give this a try.
posted by sourcequench at 8:13 AM on September 12, 2017