I spent an hour in the Virtuix Omni One full body VR rig – here’s how it feels
I’ve put together a version of our full-body future, and it takes practice.
I’m talking about Virtuix Omni One ($2,595), a new VR gaming platform that comes with a 360-degree treadmill for feet and a supported arm in addition to a VR headset. The arm extends from the seat to the vest and belt you strap on, aiming to give you the ability to walk, run, crouch and jump in VR—without messing up your living room. .
I was excited about this opportunity to try the Omni One because I’ve been following VR technology for over a decade, ever since the first Oculus Rift was Kickstarted back in 2012. Shortly after that Virtuix ran A successful Kickstarter for its first full-body VR. platform, Omni. Fast forward a decade and the company is gearing up to release an advanced version of full-body VR gear ready for home use.
It’s called Omni One, and while the price of entry may be steep for some (there’s also a monthly payment plan available), Virtuix hopes it can get enough units to sell to build a healthy ecosystem for its VR gaming platform.
This isn’t just a treadmill – it’s a VR platform
Well, the Omni One doesn’t run on the same platform as competitors like Meta Quest 3. While you can connect this full-body VR headset to a PC to use it with Steam VR games, it’s designed to work best of all. games at the Omni One store. Virtuix says it will have 50+ games available in the Omni One store at launch, including multiplayer games designed for the full-motion version supported by the Omni One.
The big question is, will what’s available in the Omni One store at launch be compelling enough to convince people to buy a nearly $3k VR device? I only had a chance to play a single multiplayer game during my Omni One demo, so I can’t speak highly of the quality of the software provided. A short multiplayer game of the co-op survival shooter I played with a Virtuix employee went well, even though I was limping across the Omni One’s treadmill like a newborn calf after bending. Fortunately, the Virtuix team got the problem down to the point where I was able to stumble into a game of the Omni One without getting nauseous or breaking an ankle.
And I have to be honest with you, that was a big concern for me during my brief introduction to the Omni One. Company founder Jan Goetgeluk kindly stepped in first to show me how to put on the special shoes and fabric over the vest, and make running and jumping on the Omni One treadmill look it’s easy. But gentle reader, believe that it is.
Watch First
It’s easy to wrap the special Omni One shoes with foot trackers around your shoes and step on the treadmill, which looks like a big concave plastic disc. But once you strap in the harness, put on the Pico 4 headset and grab the controls, things quickly go haywire. Personally, I found that learning to walk on a plastic plate while tied to a raised arm was difficult. Moving forward is easy enough, but learning to lean back and hold back without falling over took twenty minutes. Forget about running and jumping—those with a passion could control it, but like a child who just started pushing.
This seems like a good way to break an ankle.
Honestly, that’s one of my biggest takeaways from an hour at the Virtuix Omni One: This seems like a great way to break an ankle. But I’m on the tall side (6’4”) so my legs are a bit long for the device, and I’m pushing the envelope of how much it can support a large person—it supports users from 4′ 4” to 6’4” and up to 250 pounds of body weight. Younger, younger users may be comfortable using it and enjoy walking in VR using a treadmill, which works equally well once you get it.
Comments
After using one for an hour, I wouldn’t say I’m addicted—but I’m impressed. There seems to be a lot more experience and integrations to do now that capable VR headsets are available everywhere, and I’m excited to see what canny developers can do with this technology.
But personally, I think I won’t hold off on dropping a paycheck or two on the Omni One until I see what software is out there and how many people play it. The fact that Virtuix has advanced this technology to the point where you can have one delivered to your home and set up in minutes (the Omni One is quick to assemble, requires no tools, and wheels are included in games for easy navigation) is amazing – now. it just needs good software and a healthy community to help it take off.
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