VR Gaming and Its Impact on Functional Status and Quality of Life in Seniors

The VR gaming experience is based on the commercial rhythm game Beat Saber, featuring songs by Queen with varying rhythms and tempos. Players receive visual stimuli in the form of colored square blocks and must slice them in time with the music using the corresponding right or left hand. The blocks must be cut with a lightsaber of the same color. To ensure the safety of older adults, heart rate and energy expenditure were monitored throughout each session, while oxygen saturation was assessed before and after the exercises. Participants playe the game in comfortable conditions: the game loaded directly into the headset and VR glasses synchronized with portable screens to allow monitoring and assistance if needed. Before each session, the headset was adjusted to fit the participant's head dimensions, and corrective glasses were provided if required. The VR setup included a Meta Quest 2 headset with goggles and user-friendly controllers equipped with sensors (Meta Platforms, U.S.).