Beat Saber: The Best App for PD?

Beat Saber is an excellent introductory app for people with Parkinson’s. In fact, it might be the best all-around VR app. Here’s why …

It’s simple. There’s not much of a learning curve for Beat Saber. Using your light sabers (typically one color on the right hand, another on the left), you slash at the neon blocks as they come toward you. Each block has a triangle/arrow set in one of eight possible directions. Your goal is to slash the block in the direction indicated by the triangle. You also need to avoid “bombs” and “walls.” (You can turn these two features off, as discussed below.) Your slashing is synchronized with the rhythm of the soundtrack, so your swinging arms perform upper-body choreography. The difficulty for each song can be set at six different levels.

It’s fun. When you play game simulations such as boxing, golf, baseball, or ping pong, you are missing some sensory input associated with the game. For example, you don’t experience the weight of the baseball bat or bowling ball. But Beat Saber, a purely VR invention, not an adaptation of an existing game, is not missing any sensory input. In this way, Beat Saber winds up playing only to [VR’s] strengths. You stand (or sit) in one place, and the blocks come at you. You receive aerobic benefits with minimal effort, and there’s a sense of reward for completing a song. Plus, the add-on music packs — Weeknd, Panic at the Disco, Queen, Lizzo, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, and for the Boomers, the Rock mixtape (featuring Kiss, Nirvana, and Guns N’ Roses) — add familiarity to the fun.

It can be played seated or standing. Beat Saber does not require much foot movement. Gameplay is similar whether seated or standing. This allows you to start out seated, acclimatize yourself to VR, and get a workout. When you’re comfortable with gameplay, you can stand up. (Seated players should turn off “walls,” as described below.)

It provides general exercise benefits. You may be having so much fun with Beat Saber that you don’t realize you’re doing something healthy. According to the Virtual Reality Institute of Health and Exercise, Beat Saber is a viable cardiovascular workout option. Plus, the more proficient the player becomes, the more calories burned and exercise benefits accumulate.

The Benefits for Parkinson’s People. The first thing I noticed playing Beat Saber was that it forced me to look past the front of the screen at the arriving blocks and view (and remember) the blocks in the background that had not yet arrived. It was similar to driving in traffic, keeping track of the cars near you and the vehicles approaching … but much faster. Juggling this data was initially tricky, but I soon improved (eventually moving from the Easy to Normal level to Hard). Beat Saber shortened my reaction time, enhanced my hand-eye coordination, sharpened my brain’s ability to catalog and remember data, and improved the speed with which my hands accomplished tasks. Others have noted similar benefits for Parkinson’s patients.

As part of her graduate thesis in 2020, Kaitlyn Danielle Ruhf initiated a pilot study for Parkinson’s patients using Beat Saber. She determined that game performance and enjoyment encouraged use and that the “big arm swings” required to play the game were a form of Patterned Sensory Enhancement, “an important functional component that aids in managing balance, stability, and fall risk.”

Setting Up Beat Saber. To start, I’d recommend three changes to Settings. You can make these changes on the screen on the left side after selecting “Solo” play. (See the video below):

Turn on “No Fail.” By default, Beat Saber stops the game if you are doing poorly, forcing you to start over. It’s a real downer, especially if you think you’re doing well. At least while you are learning the game, turn on No Fail so that the song continues.

Turn on “No Walls.” Walls are structures that you must avoid. This requires quick steps to the left or right or, sometimes, squats. If you’re seated or not steady on your feet or prone to falling, turn on No Walls.

Turn on “No Bombs.” You need to avoid slashing bombs. Turning them off for safety is unnecessary, but you might find that learning is easier without them.