Virtual Assistant: TrueTennisVR is a state-of-the-art tennis simulation that recreates the hitting experience

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Tennis and video games have a checkered history. There have been a few winners, but many more unforced errors. One of the main reasons is that it’s difficult to replicate convincing gameplay. The nuances of strokes and point construction are often botched in favor of arcade style graphics and animation.

TrueTennisVR is not designed to satisfy any video game cravings. You won’t inhabit Roger Federer and compete against other legends. There’s no fantasy professional tour where you earn points to gain entry in Wimbledon or sign lucrative endorsement deals. But what you will get is a highly immersive, engaging tennis simulator that lets you play anytime, anywhere and also serves as an effective training tool.

Available through a download for the Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset, TrueTennisVR allows users to practice ground strokes, volleys and overheads as though they’re on an actual court. The action takes place in a 6’x6’ boundary that affords enough space for limited movement and full swings. There’s an increasing set of drills, moving targets and games to improve skills, break a sweat and compete against other users on group leaderboards.

The software was conceived by a team of engineers, physicists and tennis fanatics to recreate a state-of-the-art on-court experience. Still in beta testing, it’s constantly being developed to improve its authenticity. Recent enhancements include multiple court surfaces which impacts the height and skid of the bounce; greater responsiveness to different types of swing styles and speeds; and a setting for string bite, that along with tension choice, has a noticeable impact on shot spin. Future updates will include expanded practical coaching insights and programs for improvement.

While the software will work with the standard controller, it’s a far more lifelike experience when paired with the TrueRacket ($50) attachment. That’s because it has been designed to mirror the grip feel, weight and swing weight of an actual frame. This enables the simulation to produce most accurate approximation of a genuine stroke.

“It’s not a video game. It’s not tennis in the metaverse,” says Marc Segan, CEO of Inertia Reality Inc., the maker of TrueTennisVR. “It’s not its own world. It’s intended to be an extension of what you do in the real world.”

There’s currently a few thousand users, many of which have incorporated the TrueRacket attachment. Until mid-2023, TrueTennisVR will be available for free at the Meta Quest AppLab. After that, it will have a $10 monthly subscription.

If you can’t make it to the court, it just might be the next best thing.