Virtuix’s VR Treadmill Set for September Launch

A momentous day for VR enthusiasts, especially those interested in motion peripherals, as Virtuix set the stage ablaze with some exciting news. Just an hour after Roto VR introduced its $799 spinning game chair, Virtuix announced that its long-awaited Omni One VR treadmill will officially launch on September 10. For those who have been following this project, this news is long overdue. This innovative $2,595 system has been in the pipeline for over ten years!

To give you a bit of context, our last update on this intriguing piece of tech had the headline, “A decade later, this VR treadmill is finally ready to ship,” and that was way back on April 3 last year. It’s funny how technology sometimes takes us on a wild ride, moving with the speed of light one moment and then slowing down to a crawl the next. Unfortunately, hardware startups often get stuck in the slow lane.

Over these past years of development, Virtuix has managed to generate quite a buzz. The challenge of perfecting locomotion within VR remains a mystery yet to be solved. It’s not easy convincing your brain to feel as though you’re moving around when you’re really stationary, and it often results in less-than-pleasant side effects, like nausea.

Interestingly, the timeline of Virtuix’s developments has coincided with the growing interest in mixed reality, driven by big names like Oculus/Meta, HTC, and more recently, Apple. The company has been quite successful financially as well, securing a cool $40 million from a mix of venture capital and individual investors. The Omni One even gained some significant fame as it inspired a similar device in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of “Ready Player One.”

At first glance, the Omni One might appear to be a straightforward concept. Instead of depending on a mechanical treadmill, it employs a passive design. Users wear specialized footwear and simulate walking by sliding in place on a concave platform.

“With our launch date set for September 10, we’re thrilled to welcome gamers to the Omni One community,” shared CEO Jan Goetgeluk in a statement. “The enthusiastic feedback from our beta testers has fueled our passion, and we’re excited to deliver Omni One, transforming the gaming experience for folks of all ages.”

As of now, Virtuix has successfully sold around 3,000 units during the preorder phase of the Omni One.