Golden Gloves VR Review – A Knockout Experience with Real Grit | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Meta Quest 2

Price: $24.99

Golden Gloves VR delivers a powerful and immersive boxing experience that’s both physically engaging and surprisingly refined. As someone who’s not a boxer by trade, I was impressed by how realistic the game feels — from the movement of your gloves to the intensity of the matches. It’s not just a game; it’s a workout that sneaks up on you. Ten minutes in, you’re sweating, ducking, and throwing punches like you’re in the ring for real.

If you’ve played Creed: Rise to Glory, Golden Gloves VR will feel familiar but with a grittier, more grounded approach. It trades the cinematic flash for a rawer, more personal sense of competition — the kind that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a small, no-nonsense gym instead of a Hollywood arena. And honestly, that’s part of its appeal.

The Career Mode stands out, offering plenty of options to tweak your character and customize your gameplay. You can adjust settings to fit your preferred difficulty, pacing, and style, which gives the experience a personal touch. I appreciated how flexible it was.

Where the game really shines is in its controls and movement. The responsiveness is impressive — punches land cleanly, dodges feel intuitive, and the overall physics give the illusion of real resistance and momentum. I especially liked that it uses joystick movement instead of the “move your arms to walk” mechanic from Creed. It makes navigation smoother and less awkward, letting you focus on the fight rather than fumbling with motion controls.

Visually, it’s solid. The environments feel alive enough to sell the illusion, though I did find myself wishing for the roar of a larger crowd to heighten the atmosphere. That said, I suspect that might come as you advance through tougher matches and bigger venues — which gives me another reason to keep fighting.

Final Grade: A-

Overall, Golden Gloves VR earns a strong A- from me. It’s immersive, physically challenging, and well-built. The mix of realism and accessibility makes it a great experience for anyone — whether you’re a boxing fan or just looking for an intense workout that’s actually fun. With a little more crowd energy and ambiance, it could easily punch its way to an A.

Review code provided by Susan Lusty Comm