Meta's slow-motion breakup with many pieces of its VR ecosystem earlier this year let a lot of people down, especially those of us who used the subscription fitness app Supernatural. Although the service essentially stopped making new content earlier this year, it's now poised for a comeback. And it won't be owned by Meta.
According to a message sent to Supernatural fans Tuesday, the new app is arriving in the fall from an independent company called Supernatural Health. The Q&A page for the new company confirms that the Supernatural coaches, who were always the best part of the experience, are all back. The subscription cost is going up, though, to $180 a year or $20 a month as opposed to the $100 a year/$10 a month cost it's been under Meta.
The existing Supernatural app is still around, even though new workouts and songs aren't being added to it. But existing subscriptions and that app will go away on Dec. 3, and anyone using Supernatural will have to transfer their subscription to the new app. But the timing on when the new app will launch is still unclear.
I feel relieved, even though the service costs more. Supernatural was the app I spent the most time in on the Quest 3. It motivated me and made me feel empowered. When Meta decided to stop supporting the app earlier in the year, it wrecked me a bit. Judging by posts in Supernatural's outspoken Facebook community, I wasn't alone.
The new app will have the same coaches, and will continue the Supernatural experience.
Screenshot/CNETI'm still cautious, though. Will the new app continue the same cadence of song and workout releases? It's unclear, but Supernatural Health's page promises new features to come based on community feedback in addition to more of what's been there before.
Also, if the app is independent from Meta, could it eventually come to other VR platforms? That's already the case for other excellent VR fitness apps, including FitXR and Les Mills BodyCombat.
As far as Meta's plans for VR are concerned, I take this as another step away from Meta trying to own all the key apps for the Quest headset's Horizon OS platform. That's probably a good thing, because many of the big-name game studios Meta acquired were dissolved earlier this year.
Meta's reportedly working on another Quest headset, possibly in a smaller form, that could arrive as soon as next year.