The VR fitness app Supernatural is returning as an independent company called Supernatural Health after Meta ceased its internal development [1].
This transition marks a significant shift for the virtual reality fitness market, as a major platform holder pivots away from first-party content creation to reduce spending.
Meta announced in early January 2024 [2] that it would stop developing new content and features for the app [3]. This decision was part of a broader restructuring where Meta closed three VR gaming studios [3]. The move followed a decision to cut the budget for Reality Labs, the division responsible for the company's augmented and virtual reality projects [4].
Despite the halt in corporate support from Meta, the team behind the app spun out to keep the product alive [1]. The new independent operation began in March 2024 [2]. The service remains available to users on Meta Quest headsets worldwide [5].
Supernatural Health is expanding its offerings beyond the original scope of the app. A new feature called Supernatural Together adds group-based workouts to the experience [6]. This addition is intended to expand the social aspect of the fitness routines for users [6].
"Supernatural will now operate as an independent company called Supernatural Health, free from Meta ownership," a CNET reporter said [1].
Earlier reports from Lifehacker suggested the app was simply being shut down [5], but the subsequent spin-off clarified that the service would continue under new management [1]. Similarly, while Techmeme reported that Meta would stop developing new features [3], the independent entity has since introduced the group-workout capabilities [6].
“"Supernatural will now operate as an independent company called Supernatural Health, free from Meta ownership."”
The spin-off of Supernatural suggests a strategic pivot by Meta to transition from a content creator to a platform provider. By offloading the financial burden of studio maintenance while keeping the app available on Quest headsets, Meta maintains its ecosystem's value without the overhead of internal development. For the VR industry, this indicates a trend toward independent third-party studios driving innovation in specialized niches like fitness.
