Today’s VirZOOM Arcade release introduces some significant updates to functionality, including a new music service, reorganized menus, a new heads-up display during games, and removal of resistance-based gameplay and scoring. The build is already live on Steam, with more platforms to be updated shortly.

Music has always been available in one form or another in VirZOOM Arcade, but our previous approach was restricted to PC and proved tricky to set up and maintain. Now VirZOOM Arcade offers built-in radio stations via Feed FM on PC, PS4, and mobile platforms alike. You can choose a station and adjust volume through the Options menu or the in-game menu while you play.

Menus have been updated based on our data on how people actually use VirZOOM Arcade. Now, when you launch, you automatically land on a screen with the Quickplay entry point for every game. The Options menu and all other game and workout modes are still available; just hit the left trigger to jump back up a level for more menus.

A new heads-up display (or HUD) has also been added to all VirZOOM Arcade games, replacing the functionality that was previously only available with a face button on a VZ Bike or DualShock controller. Now, whenever you want to check workout information (like calories burned and play time), just look up!

Resistance settings on the VZ Bike now have no impact on scoring or gameplay. We previously experimented with two different ways of allowing pedaling resistance to affect games: increasing top speed in the Oval and Curvy Racecar games, and providing a scoring multiplier in our Le Tour Cycle game. The result of those experiments was the discovery that it just wasn’t working very well. The detected resistance slipped over time, and players reported that it didn’t make the games any more fun. With VirZOOM Arcade played on even more devices going forward, not all of which are capable of even sensing resistance, it felt like the right time to make resistance work the same way across all games: Just a personal decision to give you an optimal workout. You can still earn achievements and trophies that require you to pedal at “max resistance,” however, as long as you’re on a VZ Bike.

As always, please feel free to let us know what you think about the updates on our forums!