The company Virtuix has introduced the Omni One, a VR treadmill. With this, they aim to get gamers off the couch and encourage them to move. The idea seems to even convince major investors like billionaire Mark Cuban.
The manufacturer Virtuix has unveiled a special gadget for gamers. The “Omni One” is a VR treadmill. The promise behind it is that you can move in all directions on the treadmill in your favorite game. This is meant to make the gaming experience particularly realistic (immersive). In the MMO sector, there are already initial representatives like Zenith that want to offer an extensive VR experience when gaming.
All movements, such as squatting or walking backward, should be incorporated into the game. This way, you should feel like you are truly in the middle of it, as there are no movement restrictions as with standard VR where you would eventually bump into the walls of the room.
With an official campaign, the company has now raised around 19 million US dollars for the “Omni One.” Among the investors is billionaire Mark Cuban.
Who is behind the product? The company Virtuix is already very successful with VR treadmills. With the support of major investors, Virtuix has already delivered commercial Omni systems worth over 10 million dollars to event venues and arcades.
Billionaire Cuban actively invests in innovative ideas and technology
Who is he? Mark Cuban is a star investor, owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, and one of the key “Shark” investors in the reality TV show “Shark Tank.” The online magazine Forbes estimates that Cuban currently has a net worth of over 4.4 billion US dollars (via Forbes.com).
The investment in the company Virtuix and the introduced VR treadmill indicates that Cuban sees potential for the future in gaming. Because Cuban likes to invest in innovative and promising ideas:
- Just recently, Cuban invested several million US dollars in the startup company Phaidra, which develops AI for the industry (via geekwire.com).
- Cuban has also been very active in cryptocurrencies for a while now. Recently, he added Polygon (MATIC) to his company’s portfolio (via markcubancompanies.com). This is a scaling solution for Ethereum.
- Cuban also bets on new cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin (DOGE), which were initially more of a joke. At the Dallas Mavericks, you can already buy fan merchandise with Dogecoins.
There is already a prototype of the “Omni One” that the company has officially presented. We have embedded the official YouTube video here for you:
VR treadmill is for gamers, costs as much as a gaming PC with RTX 3070
With the VR treadmill, they primarily want to target gamers at home. The CEO of Virtuix, Jan Goetgeluk, explained in an interview:
Omni One is not just a next-level gaming device; it also keeps you fit by burning calories while playing. Think of the Omni One as a Peloton bike for gamers – and for parents who want to get their kids off the couch.
The Peloton bike is a fitness device that you can place in your living room.
What is the price of the device and when will it be released? The entry hurdle for the “Omni One” is set quite high. Because anyone who wants the device must finance at least 1,995 US dollars. Alternatively, you can pay 55 US dollars monthly. Thus, the price is comparable to a powerful gaming PC with GeForce RTX 3070. For a gaming PC with RTX 3080, you currently pay (as of May 27, 2021) more than 2000 euros.
According to the manufacturer, the device is expected to be delivered during the year. It will come with a proprietary game store containing 30 game titles, some of which have been developed by Virtuix itself.
With the Vive Cosmos, the manufacturer Vive introduced a VR headset that aimed to stand out from the significantly more expensive Vive Pro priced at around 1500 euros with its comparatively low entry price of 799 euros. For gamers willing to invest a lot of money in VR hardware, the “Omni One” could also be a viable alternative.
