Meta spins off VR fitness app Supernatural rather than shutting it down

Meta’s broader efforts to popularise virtual reality and build its vision of the metaverse have faced significant challenges over the years. However, among the company’s various VR initiatives, one product consistently stood out: Supernatural, the virtual reality fitness app that successfully turned exercise into an engaging and accessible experience for users.

Now, after months of uncertainty surrounding the platform’s future, Supernatural users have received welcome news. Rather than shutting down the service, Meta has decided to allow the app to continue operating under a newly independent company.

The development comes after Meta invested considerable resources to acquire Within, the studio behind Supernatural. In 2023, the company completed its purchase of Within following an eight-month legal battle with regulators over antitrust concerns. The acquisition was reportedly valued at approximately $400 million, in addition to the substantial costs associated with defending and ultimately winning a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission.

Despite the effort required to complete the acquisition, Meta later reduced staffing across parts of its virtual reality division and announced plans to stop adding new content to Supernatural. Those decisions sparked concern among the app’s dedicated user base, many of whom feared the platform’s long-term future was in jeopardy.

Following months of criticism and user feedback, Meta has now reversed course. Roughly five months after concerns intensified about the app’s future, the company has approved a plan that would allow the Supernatural team to separate from Meta and establish a new independent organisation, Supernatural Health. The new company is expected to assume control of the app later this year officially.

In a statement published on its website, Supernatural Health described the transition as a fresh beginning for the platform.

“Supernatural is being reborn. Same coaches, same DNA, same obsession with making fitness feel like the best part of your day — now under a new, independent company we’re starting from the ground up,” the company said.

The leadership behind Supernatural Health will be familiar to longtime users. The independent business is being led by the founders who helped create and grow the fitness platform before its acquisition by Meta.

For many members of the Supernatural community, the announcement represents a positive outcome after a period of uncertainty. Yet the situation also highlights the unusual path the product has taken over the past few years.

Meta fought extensively to acquire the company, overcoming regulatory scrutiny and legal challenges to complete the deal. Afterwards, the company reduced investment in certain aspects of its virtual reality efforts and signalled that Supernatural’s development would slow significantly. Now, after deciding not to continue operating the product as part of its long-term strategy, Meta is allowing the team to regain independence and continue building the platform on its own.

Supernatural Health acknowledged Meta’s role in the transition and appreciated the resources provided during the product’s time under the technology giant’s ownership.

“We’re grateful for the platform and resources Meta provided during a critical growth phase,” Supernatural Health stated. “This transition reflects a shared belief that a focused, independent team best serves Supernatural’s community. Meta has been supportive throughout.”

The announcement has been particularly meaningful for users who viewed Supernatural as one of the most successful examples of practical virtual reality software. While many VR applications have struggled to maintain engagement, Supernatural developed a loyal audience by combining fitness routines with immersive environments, coaching, and music-driven workouts.

Within the app’s online communities, reactions to the news reflected both relief and optimism about the platform’s future.

One user in the public Supernatural Facebook group described the emotional impact of the announcement after months of uncertainty.

“Like so many of us, I was so devastated when the coaches were let go, and we were told our beloved Supernatural, while we loved it and it was great, would never get any better than it was. What we had was what we had. We all felt like it was purchased to kill,” the user wrote. “I am such a sap. Why am I tearing up?”

For many members of the Supernatural community, the decision represents a rare outcome in the technology industry: a beloved product not only surviving corporate restructuring but gaining a second opportunity to grow under independent leadership. As Supernatural Health prepares to take control of the platform, users are hopeful that the service can continue evolving while preserving the features and community that made it successful in the first place.