Virtuix Set to Launch Its VR Treadmill This September

Exciting times for VR motion accessories – today marked a major reveal. Just an hour after Roto VR announced their new $799 spinning game chair, Virtuix came forward with the long-awaited news: their Omni One VR treadmill will officially launch on September 10. This announcement is a big deal, as the $2,595 (plus shipping) system has been more than a decade in the making.

Looking back, our last update on the Omni One carried the headline, “A decade later, this VR treadmill is finally ready to ship.” That was just last April. It’s fascinating how technology seems to gallop at lightning speed sometimes, yet at other times, it plods along so slowly. For many hardware startups, particularly in VR, the latter is often true.

Over these ten years, Virtuix has drummed up considerable interest, primarily because locomotion in VR remains a tough nut to crack. After all, getting your brain to believe you’re moving while you’re actually stationary isn’t exactly the easiest task, and it can sometimes make users feel a bit queasy.

During this timeframe, interest in mixed reality has surged, largely led by companies like Oculus/Meta, HTC, and most recently, Apple. Virtuix has navigated this blossoming market by raising a whopping $40 million, thanks to both venture capital and individual investments. The Omni One got a significant publicity boost when it inspired a similar gadget featured in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of “Ready Player One.”

The design of the Omni One might seem straightforward at first glance. It’s not a typical mechanical treadmill; it operates passively. Users wear special shoes and advance by subtly slipping in place on a concave dish.

“With a launch date set for September 10, we’re thrilled to invite gamers to become part of the Omni One community,” CEO Jan Goetgeluk expressed in a statement. “The enthusiastic feedback from our beta testers has really stoked our excitement. We’re eager to officially debut Omni One and elevate gaming experiences for all ages.”

And the interest is clearly there – during the preorder phase alone, Virtuix managed to sell 3,000 units.