Key Takeaways
The Omni One treadmill aims to solve VR movement limitations with an all-in-one solution that delivers an immersive gameplay experience. The Pico 4 Enterprise VR headset and foot sensors allow for greater freedom of movement compared to traditional VR setups. With a growing library of compatible games, the Omni One offers a unique and exciting way to experience VR gaming at home.
One of the big dreams of VR is the ability to move freely in 3D space. Over the years, developers and users have learned how to achieve this without VR sickness sending your stomach contents flying across the room, but the reality remains that your only controls are your head and hands, while your feet are completely forgotten. Room-scale VR is great for those with the space, but for those who can’t clear out their entire house for a game, it’s not an option.
A long walk on a short disc
Virtuix has been working on this problem for years, starting with its Omni Treadmill, a successful Kickstarter in 2013. It’s a kind of wide, shallow bowl that you stand in and move in any direction by walking in place, and it reportedly worked well in supported games. I haven’t actually used the device (with my feet?), but the general consensus is that it was a good first attempt, although like much of VR, it suffers from being a niche product for another niche: VR. Virtuix has been switching to commercial distribution for a few years now, but it’s finally getting ready to release a new home version of its treadmill, an all-in-one solution called Omni One.
Related Walking the Commonwealth with Virtuix Omni
The Omni One consists of a Pico 4 Enterprise VR headset, a pair of controllers, overshoes that slide comfortably over your feet, a pair of foot sensors, and of course the treadmill itself. The original Omni had a fixed ring around the user to hold them in place, but the Omni One replaces that with a flexible arm attached to the vest. By all reports, the Pico 4 is comparable to the Quest 3, and while it’s not as powerful in some ways, it makes up for the difference in others, such as eye tracking. But the real advantage is that it’s not as locked down as the Quest. Sure, the Quest has PC passthrough, sideloading, and App Lab, but the Pico 4 allows the Omni One to have its own storefront for compatible games.
While Omni One won’t officially launch until an unannounced date in September of this year, they’re already working to fix the issues with the original Omni treadmill by having a sizable library of compatible titles. The store has been open for a while now, but today they announced that they’re adding 15 more games, bringing the total to just over 50. Highlighted games include FPS meets Metroidvania Genotype, a VR version of my personal favorite Amid Evil, claustrophobic horror game Tunnels, and Sniper Elite VR, where you kill Nazis from a distance. A full list of all the games announced for the Omni store today, both new and already known, can be found on their website here. They’ve also released a new video showcasing Omni One in action, which you can watch here. There are a ton of VR games where real walking controls would be useful, so it’s going to be a lot of fun to see how Omni One brings them to life.
