Virtuix, the creator of the Omni One VR treadmill, announced it now has a lineup of 35 games ready for the device’s broader launch later this year, including some big ones.
Omni One was originally pitched in a crowd-based investment campaign in 2020, but is now slated to arrive to customers sometime in Q2 2024, bringing the at-home version of its VR treadmill to non-investor enthusiasts for the first time.
We say ‘at-home’ version and not consumer version because the unit costs $2,595 (plus shipping). This admittedly comes with a fully-inclusive, full-body VR experience thanks to the unit itself in addition to the included Pico 4 Enterprise headset, as well as dedicated game store with titles optimized for Omni One.
Some of the most notable games to pledge support for Virtuix Omni One are AFFECTED: The Manor, Breachers, Compound, Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, In Death: Unchained, RUINSMAGUS and Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate—meaning you’ll be able to run, shoot and crouch in a way you simply can’t with stick-controlled movement.
Here’s a look at the complete lineup of 35 supported games coming at launch:
Virtuix, the company behind the Omni VR treadmill, announced it’s raised $4.7 million through its latest crowd investment round. The Austin, Texas-based company also says it plans to ship 1,000 of its Omni One VR treadmills by the end of this year.
Earlier this year, Virtuix launched an equity crowdfunding campaign to further support the production of its Omni One VR treadmill, which, when paired with a VR headset, allows you to physically run around in a VR game instead of relying on artificial locomotion schemes, like stick movement or teleportation.
Similar to other parabolic VR treadmills like KAT VR, Omni One requires you to wear special low-friction shoes and strap into a harness system which keeps you in the center of the base’s parabola. Read about our latest hands-on to see Omni One in action.
Since launch in early 2023, the campaign has already raised over $4.7 million. Although just short of its initial $5 million target, Virtuix has decided to conclude the crowdfunding campaign earlier than planned on August 10th.
In addition to individual investors, the funding round received significant support from JC Team Capital, a prior investor, with its founder and CEO, Parth Jani, joining Virtuix’s Board of Directors as a lead investor. Virtuix intends to use the funds to increase Omni One’s production and aims to achieve profitability by 2024.
Virtuix has already started shipping beta units of Omni One to 8,000 of its equity investors. More than 1,000 units are said to ship out by the end of this year, with plans to deliver to all remaining investors in the first quarter of 2024. Pre-orders for the general public are expected to open in late 2023, with deliveries scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2024.
While more accessible to consumers than similar enterprise devices, Omni One’s introductory is $2,595, which includes the Pico VR headset—a sharp reminder that the accessory largely appeals to prosumers and businesses. The company has however devised a payment plan that offers the device as low as $65 per month.
Virtuix’s CEO, Jan Goetgeluk, expressed excitement about Omni One’s success and its potential for rapid revenue growth, saying the company already has a waitlist of 35,000 interested customers.
Founded in 2013, the latest campaign puts Virtuix’s lifetime funding to more than $35 million which was sourced from both individual and institutional investors.
Virtuix revealed the final version of its Omni One VR treadmill, which is now shipping to early investors.
Following a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2020, the consumer-focused Omni One has been a long time coming. Originally targeting the second half of 2021, Jan Goetgeluk, Virtuix CEO and founder, claims they faced a “challenging development process,” citing issues relating to COVID-19 and supply chain shortages.
Virtuix claims high interest in the Omni One, with a “waitlist” of more than 35,000 expressing interest ahead of a wider consumer launch later this year. 900 of Virtuix’s crowdfunding investors have applied for an Omni One beta unit, with the wider release to follow once the beta program ends in late 2023, claims Virtuix. You can view the finalised design below:
Taking inspiration from Virtuix’s commercial Omni Pro VR treadmill, the Omni One is designed as a more compact option designed to fit inside your living room, where it functions as a complete entertainment unit. Previously shown with a Pico Neo 2, Virtuix is pairing the final version with a Pico Neo 3 Pro standalone headset, which includes a unique operating system, social features and “a proprietary game store targeting 30 titles at launch.”
Virtuix claims Omni One will receive a wider consumer launch later this year, releasing at an introductory cost of $2,595 plus shipping (which includes the Pico Neo 3 Pro). Virtuix claims unit quantities will “start small and gradually increase as the program proceeds.”
Virtuix, the company behind the Omni VR treadmill, launched a crowd-based investment campaign in 2020 to fund Virtuix Omni One, an at-home VR locomotion device targeted at consumers. Now the studio has revealed the final version, pricing, and the news that it’s now shipping out to early investors.
Omni One units are now headed out to early investors (re: not backers) prior to the device’s planned consumer launch, which is said to arrive at some point later this year.
The company says its currently has a waitlist for Omni One of “more than 35,000 subscribers.”
Here’s a look at what Virtuix says is the final version of the hardware:
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Image courtesy Virtuix
Virtuix says 900 of its equity crowdfunding investors have applied to buy Omni One beta units, which will be extended to late 2023, however unit quantities will “start small and gradually increase as the program proceeds.”
Similar to other parabolic VR ‘treadmills’, Omni One requires you to wear special low-friction shoes and strap into a harness system which keeps you in the center of the base’s parabola.
And although marketed as a consumer-targeted device, Omni One’s introductory price will be $2,595 plus shipping, which also includes the Pico Neo 3 Pro standalone headset. The company is however also offering a financing plan that could bring it to as low as $65 per month.
Over its lifetime, Virtuix has raised $35 million. The company says it’s now shipped over $16 million worth of products, which includes over 4,000 Omni Pro systems across 45 countries, and than 70 Omni Arena systems to US venues such as Dave & Buster’s.
Virtuix announced that it raised another $19 million as part of its Series A-2 funding, which it will use to launch its consumer VR treadmill, the Omni One, this year.
Virtuix worked with SeedInvest, an online investing company, to complete the Series A-2 funding. Over 6,500 investors participated in this round.
Virtuix unveiled the Omni One towards the end of last year, which it says was inspired by its previously available commercial VR treadmill, the Omni Pro. Unlike the Pro, the Omni One is a consumer device aimed for home use.
While it’s called a VR treadmill, nothing actually moves on the device – instead, the user wears a special pair of shoes that slip along the round disk surface. This, along with an attached swiveling harness strap, allows them to walk and turn on the spot. In theory, this translates to 360 degree movement in VR, facilitated by walking on the spot on the Omni One.
Of course, Virtuix has been around a long time and its initial treadmills didn’t take off in the home market. The One is designed to be a lighter, sleeker and more compact than previous iterations, which Virtuix hopes will make it better for home use, though it’s still likely only to appeal to only the most enthusiastic of VR users. It will ship with everything needed to get started, including a standalone VR headset with its own operating software and games store, with 30 titles available at launch. We don’t have a list of compatible games at this time.
Promotional material from last year shows a Pico Neo 2 headset being used with the Omni One, but Virtuix said this was just for demonstration purposes and the exact model of included headset yet to be decided on. We reached out to Virtuix for an update and they said it still had not been decided yet, but they “will do so in the next month.”
The Omni One will retail for $1995, or $55/month via a payment plan, and will be available sometime later this year.
In 2020 Virtuix revealed plans to create a home version of its omni-directional treadmill, a more compact solution called the Omni One. As part of this process, the company launched a Series A-2 financing round, allowing investors to purchase shares in the business whilst being offered a discount on the treadmill when it becomes available. With the round closed, Virtuix has managed to raise $19 million USD towards its launch.
Up to now, Virtuix has concentrated on the commercial market shipping over $10 million worth of omni-directional systems to location-based entertainment (LBE) venues like Dave & Buster’s. Omni One on the other hand is firmly focused on the high-end consumer market, allowing gamers to fully immerse themselves in virtual reality (VR) without the need for a room-scale compatible environment. Coming in with a 4ft diameter the Omni One can be folded up to store away.
The funding round required a minimum investment of $1,000, with investors offered a 20% discount on an Omni One if they wanted one. Over 6,500 investors participated in the round to hit that $19 million. The funds will be used to help build and launch the Omni One which is currently expected to arrive later this year.
“With Omni One, your home becomes a portal into new worlds and gaming adventures like never before,” said Jan Goetgeluk, Virtuix’s founder and CEO in a statement. “For the first time, you’re no longer restricted by the limited space in your home. You can roam endlessly around immersive virtual worlds as you would in real life, using your whole body.”
“We’re impressed by the outpouring of investor support for Omni One,” Goetgeluk added. “More than two million players have experienced the thrill of walking around inside videogames at our commercial venues around the world. Given our success in the out-of-home market, our investors believe we’re well positioned to bring our popular gaming experience to millions of homes around the world.”
The Omni One is mainly going to be sold as an all-in-one entertainment system, combining the treadmill and a standalone headset in the price. For the launch Virtuix will have 30 titles available via a dedicated store, some developed in-house while others have been licensed from third-party developers. And how much does all this cost? To buy the Omni One up front will set you back $1,995, or there’s the monthly payment plan for $55 / month. There will also be a Omni One “Dev Kit” version primarily designed for studios.
As further details of the new Omni One treadmill are released, VRFocus will let you know.
Five months ago Virtuix launched a campaign on equity crowdfunding platform SeedInvest for its latest product, the Omni One omnidirectional treadmill. Today, Virtuix revealed that the campaign has been a massive success, seeing 4,000+ investors help the company raise over $11 million USD with a month still to go.
The campaign ends on 2nd April 2021, with Virtuix hoping to achieve $15 million by that time. Rather than going the crowd-funding route of platforms like Kickstarter, going the SeedInvest route allows Virtuix to sell shares to the public. The minimum investment is $1,000, and as a perk investors will receive a 20% discount (worth $400) when buying Omni One.
Omni One will be sold in two versions in 2021, a “dev kit” package for $995 which isn’t supplied with a headset – great for developers and VR fans who already own their own headset and VR-capable PC. The complete Omni One entertainment system – including an all-in-one VR headset and operating software – will retail for $1,995 or via a monthly payment plan for $55 a month.
“We’re both thrilled and humbled by this outpouring of investor support for Omni One,” said Jan Goetgeluk, founder and CEO of Virtuix in a statement. “Given that many of our new investors are also eager customers who plan to buy Omni One for their homes, our success on SeedInvest signals strong market demand for Omni One.”
“Omni One is like no other gaming system,” Goetgeluk continued. “It’s a breakthrough in omnidirectional treadmill technology. The system is compact at only four feet in diameter, it’s easy to fold up and store, and it gives players unmatched freedom of movement, including crouching, kneeling, and jumping.”
The Omni One is Virtuix’s first proper foray into the consumer sector, as it usually focuses on the location-based entertainment (LBE) sector. Designed to offer a small footprint ideal for people’s homes, the Omni One is due to launch this year with 30 titles developed by Virtuix and third-party studios made available through its own dedicated online store.
Virtuix isn’t the only omnidirectional treadmill company looking to entice VR consumers. KatVR’s Kat Walk C ran a Kickstarter in 2020 selling its device for $999 or less. VRFocus will continue its coverage of the Omni One, reporting back with further updates on its development.
Virtuix, the company behind the Omni VR treadmill, launched a crowd-based investment campaign late last year to support the launch of Virtuix Omni One, an at-home VR locomotion device for consumers. The campaign’s second phase (Series A-2) is nearly at its end, and Virtuix says the company has garnered $19 million from individual investors looking to get a piece of the company.
Update (May 26th, 2021): Virtuix announced today that, through the entirety of its Series A financing round, it’s secured $19 million from more than 6,500 investors. Virtuix says Mark Cuban, an original investor, increased his share in Virtuix as the company readies the launch of Omni One.
Update (April 6th, 2021): Viruix’s two-month crowd investment campaign is over after having attracted $14,389,147. Like many tech startups, Virtuix says its two main exit opportunities would be either going public via an initial public offering (IPO) or getting acquired by a larger company.
“It’s hard to say which is more likely, and we’re not allowed by the SEC to provide ROI or time estimates, but in any case, both would be a major success for our investors,” the company says.
Original Article (October 7th, 2020): Omni One is a consumer version of the Omni that Virtuix says is optimized for home use, including a light frame, foldable body for easy storage, and a freedom of movement that boasts walking, running, crouching and jumping. All of this is done by moving your feet on a low-friction parabolic surface that requires special low-friction shoes.
In contrast to the company’s commercial Omni, which it sells to location-based entertainment facilities, the consumer version has done away with the support ring, but there’s a few other things that have changed too.
With the Omni One package, Virtuix says it will include a standalone VR headset, which in the promo material is a Pico Neo 2. Granted, users can also connect Omni One to a PC and play PC-based VR games using their own headsets, however the company is putting forward a complete package that “just works out-of-the-box,” Omni CEO and co-founder Jan Goetgeluk says.
Image courtesy Virtuix
Although it’s uncertain precisely which standalone headset will ship with Omni One, the company will be pitching their own app store with games guaranteed to support the VR treadmill. This comes part and parcel with an obligatory monthly subscription called ‘Omni Online’ for online play, similar to Xbox Live and PS Plus.
Unlike most crowdfunding campaigns, which typically work as pre-orders, Virtuix is accepting reservations from interested parties via a Regulation A funding campaign. The company has been testing the waters for such a crowdfunded equity investment ever since the US government eased investment rules via the JOBS act, which allows the general public to invest in private companies.
Image courtesy Virtuix
That said, the lowest possible investment is $1,000, which incentivizes people with a 20% discount when buying an Omni One system ($400 discount) or Omni One dev kit ($200 discount). Investing in the first week will double that discount, coming to a total of $800 off the Omni One or $400 off the Omni One dev kit.
Virtuix says Omni One is slated to release sometime in Q2 of 2021 priced at $1,995. According to The Verge, the developer kit will sell for $995, however it will lack access to the Omni game store and the included VR headset.
Having tried the original commercial Omni several times myself over the years, and also its main China-based competitor Kat Walk VR, it’s safe to say that using these type of low friction VR locomotion devices can definitely be awkward at first. It’s not exactly comparable to walking naturally, as you slide your feet forward and forcefully turn against the weight of a constrictor bar (or in Omni Pro’s case a support ring) to turn in-game. I’ll admit that I don’t own any such VR treadmill though, both for the associated price tag and space requirements, however it’s clear Virtuix is trying to change that here with its new, slimmed-down Omni One.
And it seems the early bird investment strategy has worked fairly well so far. At the time of this writing the company has already made it halfway to its overall minimum goal of $1 million. You can check out more funding tiers and specifics around the investment crowdfunding campaign here.
Check out the company’s SeedInvest campaign pitch below:
Virtuix unveiled a new VR treadmill today, called the Omni One, which is targeted at a consumer level for home use.
The Omni One is the latest in a line of many Omni treadmills for VR content, allowing you to simulate walking while physically staying in the same spot. The word treadmill is slightly misleading, as nothing actually moves on the Omni — the user has to wear a special pair of shoes that will slip along the surface of the round disc-shaped base. This allows the user to walk on the spot in any direction, which will move them in VR but keep them stationary in real life.
Virtuix say that the Omni One was inspired by their previous commercial equivalent, the Omni Pro, except designed for consumers and not businesses. The Omni One is lighter, more compact and easy to fold up, plus it has a sleeker look that’s “designed to fit tastefully inside a living room or other place in your home.”
The Omni One will be sold as a complete entertainment unit, including a standalone VR headset — everything you need will be included in the box, no additional equipment required. The video above features a Pico Neo 2, but Virtuix say that it hasn’t decided which headset will be included in the final product yet, and are choosing between “a few good, next-gen HMD options”. The device will also feature a game store with over 30+ titles at launch, including “Call of Duty and Fortnite-style games developed by Virtuix alongside top titles licensed from third parties.”
The price will be $1,995 for the entire unit, including the Omni One and the accompanying headset, however a $55/month payment plan will also be available. There will also be a ‘dev kit’ option for $995, which does not include a VR headset and will connect to a PC for either development or use with PC VR content. This could also be a good option for Quest and Quest 2 owners if paired with Virtual Desktop wireless streaming.
The Omni One will be available in the second half of 2021. Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
