Meet the exercise bike that wants you to play video games while working out

By Patrick Hearn Published April 25, 2023

Although games like Dance Dance Revolution and Beat Saber might make you work up a sweat, they technically aren’t exercise games. For gamers who want to get in shape by pulling off dungeon-delving moves just like Lara Croft, there’s another solution: The Playpulse One, a smart exercise bike that combines workout machine, game console, and entertainment center into one.

The Playpulse One uses high-precision sensors in the pedals and handlebars to make pedaling part of gameplay. It monitors your heart rate through the handlebars to provide you with measurable, accurate workout results. You’ll know how hard you worked out and the number of calories you burn after every play session.

It also features a 24-inch multitouch computer and a dedicated graphics card that enable the Playpulse One to tackle online multiplayer without a hitch. You can also compete against your friends and others online to make the workout a communal experience.

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There are currently four compatible games (all built in the Unity engine), but more are on the way. The Playpulse One doesn’t limit its experiences to just games, though — the device is packed with entertainment and fitness content. Users can even stream their favorite shows, as long as they keep the pace up. If you start to slack on your workout, the screen will go dark. Of course, this is an optional feature that can be disabled for those times you want to sneak away to “work out,” but you really just need to binge The Real Housewives.

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Playpulse plans to release an open API in the future so that third-party developers can create games for the platform. For now, there are several interesting titles planned for launch. Pedaltanks is a multiplayer-based capture the flag game where you compete against other players, each in different tanks with different abilities. Bumpercars is pretty self-explanatory, except it’s in space.

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Heat Street is a racing game, while Helios is a roguelite runner that has you exploring different pathways through space and dodging obstacles that come your way. You can stream your gameplay to your platform of choice, and you can even gamify personal milestones. As more content is released, it will become available through the Playpulse Live subscription service. It’s included free for six months when you purchase a bike, then costs $20 per month.

The Playpulse One can be pre-ordered now at a discounted price of $1,200. Its standard retail price is $2,000.

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Mobile Writer

Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…

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