Playpulse ONE Gaming Exercise Bike
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If fitness instructors with boundless energy and endless inspirational sound bites, or filmed rides through the French countryside and Swiss Alps aren't enough to get you on a stationary bike, Playpulse is hoping immersive video games, gaming competitions, and streaming services will be. The Playpulse ONE is a gaming exercise bike. Or an exercise gaming bike. I'm not sure which it is first, which is probably why Playpulse goes for the long descriptor, calling it a "fully integrated entertainment bike with games and streaming services."
The Playpulse ONE capitalizes on the social aspects of many gaming and fitness platforms. The former was a natural for building itself a massive online community from the start, and while the latter's foundation is in in-person group fitness classes, its online presence is coming up strong thanks to Peloton, and no thanks to COVID. Combining the two, Playpulse ONE invites riders to work themselves into a sweaty, miserable, heavy-mouth-breathing mess while competing in custom-built games fun enough to make them forget about it. Similar to the STEALTH Core Trainer, but the Playpulse ONE is more cardio- than strength-based, and seems quite a bit more sophisticated.
The Playpulse ONE incorporates pedal sensors, gaming controllers with haptic feedback, and a 24" touchscreen into its gameplay. At printing, the available Playpulse games all involved some sort of vehicle, such as tanks, airplanes, or bumper cars, riders must pedal to control, and pedal faster / heavier to complete the games' tasks. To make the experience more interactive and social, Playpulse lets riders team up with friends to challenge strangers, or go head-to-head.
The bike also has more traditional built-in workout programs, and, unlike other connected home fitness bikes, allows you to stream services including Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Twitch directly to the Playpulse ONE display.
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