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We’re at a tipping point in the video game industry. While gaming on a TV screen is always going to be the most common way to play, the industry is shifting towards VR, or virtual reality. In this blog, we’ll be talking about how Virtuix Omni is changing the way we play games. The Omni is an omnidirectional treadmill that allows you to walk, run, and even jump in your favorite game. The Omni gives you complete freedom of movement and keeps you from feeling like you’re stuck in one spot on a game’s world map.
A virtual reality startup has created a VR treadmill you can use at home. You can run, jump, and crouch in place while using the Omni One full-body controller. Virtuix is introducing the product with a crowdfunding campaign in mid-2021 for $1,995, following up on an earlier device focused on business and arcade purposes.
Your next workout at home could be on this super slippery VR treadmill
Virtuix Omni was developed as a crowdfunded project in 2013. You use it with low-friction shoe covers or special shoe covers attached to a harness, not a treadmill. In the Omni One prototype video, it seems the device basically holds you in place while your foot slides across the platform in VR, translating that movement into the virtual environment. (You may recall this concept from Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.) Having tried earlier versions of the Omni, it’s an odd yet fascinating experience.
As opposed to treadmill rings around the entire treadmill, the Omni One combines a vertical bar and a horizontal bar to allow users to get on and off the treadmill. As well as folding it up, you can store it. An online store with 30 titles is expected to launch with it. There is no full list of virtualix’s games, but it plans to feature third-party games alongside experiences it develops itself, such as Fortnite-style games and Call of Duty-style games.
The Omni One retail system will include a standalone headset – it’s currently being tested with a Pico Neo 2, however Virtuix will choose the headset that will be used for retail in the coming months. There is only the treadmill portion of the developer kit for $995. In addition to its crowdfunding-style shareholder campaign, Virtuix is opening a Regulation, a capital campaign for users who want the full package. If the investor invests in the first week, fans of the concept will get a 40 percent discount on the consumer Omni One, as long as they invest at least $1,000.
In the case of virtual reality crowdfunding campaigns, Virtuix is not describing these investments as preorders. Because markets and technology are changing rapidly as companies build products, crowdfunding campaigns are a higher-risk proposition. Despite Virtuix’s great performance compared to some VR startups, the Omni’s purpose then evolved. Virtuix had originally intended that the device would ship worldwide, but it had to cancel some preorders as it grew larger and more complex. Later, Virtuix shifted its focus to VR arcades to reduce consumer treadmill sales. Virtuix reports it is now resuming installations for business customers to continue location-based VR despite the Corona virus pandemic.
A surge in enthusiasm for high-end home fitness technology prompted the early release date of Omni One. In a similar way to Peloton bikes, Virtuix’s treadmill resembles a gaming bike; fitness isn’t the most important thing here, but it is sure to get you moving. With the Omni One, Virtuix will have finally brought home VR treadmills by making it true that home VR treadmills exist (which is unlikely to happen, obviously).
Virtuix is scheduled to launch the Omni One soon
Virtual reality is one of the most talked about topics in the gaming industry. In recent years, VR has become a necessity for anyone who is looking to stay on top of the gaming world. Companies like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive have been revolutionizing the way people play games. The newest in VR technology is Virtuix Omni, which is changing the way people play games by enabling players to physically move in VR. The creators of Virtuix Omni have successfully implemented the idea of true immersion into the realm of VR.
Virtuix recently unveiled their “Omni One” omnidirectional treadmill, which was released in October 2020. The VR treadmill will be available in the second half of 2021 and will return to their original plan.
