It’s an exciting moment for VR enthusiasts with a soft spot for motion peripherals. Just an hour after Roto VR rolled out its $799 spinning game chair, Virtuix finally unveiled the launch date for its Omni One VR treadmill—mark your calendars for September 10. I say “finally” because it’s been quite the journey: this $2,595 system, excluding shipping, has been brewing for over a decade.
Looking back, our previous update on this piece of tech was headlined, “A decade later, this VR treadmill is finally ready to ship.” That was on April 3 last year. It’s funny how technology sometimes feels like it’s zooming by at breakneck speed or comes to a crawl. Hardware startups, unfortunately, often lean toward that slower pace.
In the ten years or so that Virtuix has been in development, they’ve certainly piqued a lot of curiosity. Locomotion is a major hurdle for VR—it’s about getting your brain to feel movement even when you’re not actually going anywhere, and that can sometimes lead to queasiness.
This slow burn coincides with a surge of interest in mixed reality, with pioneers like Oculus/Meta, HTC, and even Apple jumping into the mix. Virtuix has impressively raised $40 million through a blend of venture capital and individual investments. Not to mention, their Omni One found its spotlight as a model for Spielberg’s adaptation of “Ready Player One.”
What’s interesting about the Omni One is its clever simplicity. There’s no buzzing mechanical treadmill. Instead, users slip on special shoes and glide smoothly while staying within the confines of a concave surface. It’s VR trickery at its finest.
“With our official launch on September 10, we can’t wait to welcome gamers to the Omni One family,” CEO Jan Goetgeluk shared enthusiastically. “The positive vibes from our beta users have been infectious, and we’re bursting with excitement to redefine gaming for everyone.”
As of now, Virtuix has managed to sell 3,000 units during Omni One’s preorder stage, a solid start for this highly anticipated debut.
