Exhale XR VR wellness
Exhale XR
A VR wellness library built around breathing exercises, guided meditation, spoken word, and immersive natural environments. Three therapeutic breathing techniques targeting sleep, anxiety, and relaxation, with an expanding DLC library of environments and guided audio sessions, most of which are free.
Wellbeing • PSHE focus
Exhale XR is a VR wellness application developed by Dynamic Augmented Solutions and published by Artist Life Vision VR. Released on Steam in October 2022 and available on both Steam (PC VR) and Meta Quest, it is rated ESRB Everyone and priced at $3.99 for the base application, which includes three immersive retreats and access to an expanding library of DLC content — most items free, with premium guided sessions at $0.99–$1.99 each.
The app's organising concept is a floating island world — fractal environments suspended in space, each with its own atmosphere and purpose. From a central hub, players access breathing exercises, take a glass elevator to a full 360° treetop view, explore reflection ponds, interact with musical instruments, and enter the wellness library. The world is described by the developers as "designed to empower users with the proper tools to improve mental and physical health through virtual travels, calming atmospheres and surprises throughout the realm."
The most distinctive aspect of Exhale XR for school use is the breadth of its DLC library — 52 items in total, with the majority available at no additional cost. The content divides into four broad categories relevant to school wellbeing curricula:
Beyond the DLC library, the base Exhale XR experience includes several interactive elements within its floating island hub:
Glass elevator: A 360° treetop observation point giving a full panoramic view of the environment — one of the more visually distinctive features for opening a wellbeing session with a sense of scale and calm perspective.
Musical instruments: Interactive instruments within the environment that can be played by touching or triggering them, adding an audio-creative dimension alongside the guided content.
Reflection ponds: Visual focal points within the environment designed for contemplative pausing rather than active interaction.
Flexible play space: Works seated, standing, or in a full walk-around configuration, making it usable in almost any physical classroom or wellbeing room setup without clearing space.
- ESRB Everyone — no content concerns for any age group
- Three breathing exercises with specific clinical framing (sleep, anxiety, relaxation)
- Spoken word library themes (Belonging, Fortitude, I Am Alive) map to PSHE/RSE
- Guided sleep, phobia, and fear sessions extend wellbeing programme options
- Most DLC free — extensive content at minimal cost
- Works seated, standing, or walk-around — no space constraints
- Eyes-open or eyes-closed audio-only option for VR-sensitive students
- Very limited third-party review coverage — only 4 Steam reviews
- Small independent studio with limited support infrastructure
- Confined Spaces phobia aid needs careful pastoral framing before deployment
- Anxiety reduction labelling requires sensitive supervision in school context
- PC VR version requires SteamVR-compatible setup (i5 2nd gen+ processor)
- Production values more modest than larger VR wellbeing platforms