Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have all attempted to get gamers off their seats and on their feet with a variety of workout and exercise video games. Motion controls have helped these video games improve and provide a greater range of options for working out. Workout games have become popular enough (at least on the Wii and Wii U) that the Wii Fit Trainer is being included in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. games for the Wii U and 3DS. But how effective are these games act burning calories?
Consumer Reports recently compared five different workout titles and determined which ones give the proper balance between fun and hard work. Those games were Nike Plus Kinect Training, Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013, Just Dance 4, U-F-C Trainer, and Zumba Core. In addition, Consumer Reports compared consoles to find which one gives the most accurate readings and accuracy with its workout games. Overall, they gave Zumba Core the edge over the competitors, based on how well it worked out the user and how entertaining it was.
After all, nobody wants to work out and be bored while doing it, or else their motivation will tank over time. Nike Plus Kinect Training was also found to be a quality title for working out, and Just Dance 4 got credit for being the most fun to play, while not necessarily giving the best workout.
The report also said that the Xbox 360 with the Kinect was the best system for working out, as it's able to track the player's motions better than the Wii U and PlayStation Move:
"...the Xbox is going to the most effective for these types of games, because using the Kinect, the camera can actually track your full body's movements, whereas with the Wii U or the Playstation 3, it can only see the controller, not your full body. So it's easier to cheat the system, and it's not tracking your body as accurately."
It sounds like gamers wishing to get a bit more active may want to give the Xbox One a go when the console is launched in November, as the new console will come standard with a improved Kinect that can actively detect a player's heartbeat, making it the most likely future champ of workout consoles.