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.

The supplemental A-2 campaign is still active, and will conclude on May 28th at 12:59 PM ET.

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.

SEE ALSO
Kat VR Secures $1.6M in Kickstarter Funding for Its Consumer-grade VR Treadmill

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:

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • James Cobalt

    If this is at all better than the heavy-duty Virtuix Omni… it still won’t be good enough for most people. And their all-in-one approach may sound smart to an investor, but the reality of the market is people looking for that kind of simple solution aren’t going to drop $2,000 (on top of any computer expenses); they’ll get a $299 Oculus Quest 2.

    WHO the heck is this for? Not newcomers. Not people who recently bought a VR headset. Not hardcore VR gamers willing to drop serious dough (no support for Index controllers or premium headsets). Maybe this was really intended for LBE venues but the pandemic got them scrambling for new markets.

    From a residential perspective, my first instinct is to position it as a premium fitness device, but even that feels too early for decent adoption and doesn’t address the often-nauseating user experience of this type of treadmill.

    • VR Cat

      The $1,995 is for the bundle that includes a standalone headset, so that’s not on top of the expense of a VR capable computer. People who already have a VR setup and headset can get just the treadmill for $995, and that’s before any discount they pick up for investing. It’s actually a really good deal, and cheaper than the Kat Walk C, which has fewer features.

      • James Cobalt

        Gotcha. So the idea is you’d only use this for their exclusive content? Is there any standalone content on the Pico Neo 2 for consumers? I thought it was all enterprise stuff unless you hooked up to a PC.

        The article makes it sound like it’s not possible for consumers to buy the treadmill at $995 – only developers. The discount there would be $200 but only if you ALSO invest $1,000 into the company.

        • VR Cat

          The Pico Neo 2 is not confirmed to be the headset that will come with it yet – they’re still looking at other options (more great standalones coming 2021). There are some great games in development for standalone headsets, like Ilysia (an MMO), but I don’t know what games will be on the store. They are working on emulation for SteamVR games. It can be done now, to play games like Fallout 4 VR and Skyrim VR, but it’s tricky to set up at the moment. It will be easier once they have the emulation software. I believe it’s called a dev-kit not just because it will be what a lot of PCVR developers will use, but also to get across the fact that the store is currently only for the standalone, so the treadmill-only option is more geared towards the VR enthusiast who’s not afraid to tinker a bit, use Steam, etc.

  • flamaest

    Memories are quite short apparently.

    Virtuix sold their first unit for HOME use and they abandoned their users. Their forums were shut down and good luck getting any REAL support. I have $1,000 virtiux paperweight in my house to prove it.

    PCVR is dying. This OMNI unit will need to be compatible with either a PSVR or the Quest. We’ve already played this Virtuix game with the first OMNI version and Virtuix choose to screw over their backers; or left us to only play from their terrible game library.

    The only real way that you can the 1st Gen OMNI working is to sift around archaic DISQUSS forums like a second class citizen, asking random questions to strangers
    [Not VIRTUIX !] in the hopes that you might actually get something working until the next Virtuix firmware destroys it.

    I WILL NOT BE PLAYED AGAIN BY VIRTUIX.

    • VR Cat

      PCVR is far from dying – look at Half Life: Alyx, and the popularity of Valve Index. Now Quest 2 is drawing a huge number of people into VR. Omni One will work with the Quest via the link cable, and you won’t have to use their store if you don’t want to. In my experience any game that has locomotion is only appealing with the Omni. It’s 1000 times better than using a joystick. Like some other companies at the time when consumer VR was almost non-existent, Virtuix had to pivot to the commercial market. Sadly as a consequence of that, the support wasn’t there for the few consumers who got hold of the Omni. It took patience to get some games working with it, but once you did it was amazing. This launch will be nothing like that. The consumer VR boom is here, it’s going mainstream. The support will be there, the emulation software is being worked on. Give it a chance, Omni One is going to make VR amazing.

      • flamaest

        Perhaps, but Virtuix lost me once they shutdown their forums. That was the final straw and a slap in the face. I will watch them do it again with this so-called ‘dev-version’. They will stop supporting them soon enough and the only ones standing will be the clowns which bought into their “Peloton” model; so only rich people will be allowed into the Virtuix ecosystem.

        • VR Cat

          I understand why you feel that way, but the forum was open for a very long time – even years after the switch to commercial to be fair. Maybe it just had too much outdated information or had been inactive for a long time.
          Really once you have emulation software there’s not much in the way of support needed. There’s also no reason to stop supporting the dev version – it’s the same version that will be used by developers to add compatibility to their games after all.

          • flamaest

            Maybe somebody can put together a decently written FAQ on how to get the 1st gen OMNI set up to play non-virtuix games, or provide a link to a web page that is “well organized”.

            What is available now is simply not clear and full of trial and error. This VR solution is too expensive to have to go through all the current effort. I will not be sifting through miles of disquss feeds with bloodshot eyes to figure this out.

          • flamaest

            No Quick reponse? Funny how I asked above for a setup-FAQ for the Omni w/3rd-party software, and ‘CRICKETS’…. THIS is exactly why we need to pass on this company.

          • VR Cat

            I’m sure there will be a setup F.A.Q. In fact there were guides available when it came out – but if I recall they were made before there were a lot of games that used the Vive touchpads, so there were no instructions on how to emulate that.

      • Josh

        The only possible way I can make sense of you promoting this product and Virtuix is either A) You’re a corporate plant or B) You’re just incredibly naïve.

        You can try to explain it away all you want, but the fact of the matter is that they cut off consumer sales entirely, dropped almost all consumer support, jacked the price up by 980% and sold only to commercial markets, mostly in China. Investing in Virtuix is out of the fucking question since most of their revenue comes from a country who’s government is actively engaged in genocide, and I am personally against genocide. Are you? Are you pro-genocide, VR Cat?

        And even knowing all of THAT shit, you still defend them? You still defend this product? I am calling shenanigans on your legitimacy. Nobody in their right mind would get screwed over, laugh it off, then go back two years later and allow themselves to be screwed over again, by the same company/person/thing. You have an ulterior motive and everything you say is suspect.

        I have an Omni. I use it all the time, and it’s nice. But I am not about to buy into this thing any time soon, not until Virtuix ceases its operations in China (Fuck China) and has a long track record of supporting the consumer market. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if they do exactly the same thing with the Omni One that they did with the original Omni.

        • VR Cat

          I’m not being paid to comment here and I’m not on the company’s payroll. There are lots of reasons for supporting them. They have a great product, they did the right thing by offering refunds (plus interest) to anyone who was affected by the switch to commercial, and this device will create and support American jobs, as well as jobs internationally.

          I’d question your assertion that most of their revenue comes from China or that they sell mostly there – if you go to Virtuix’s website and scroll down, there’s a map showing the locations of their commercial venues that suggests a fairly even distribution between North America, Europe, and Asia.

          Your stated reason for not supporting them is that they have business links in China – but lots of companies have some part of their manufacturing there. I’m sure you yourself sir own many products made in China and elsewhere in the world – even the Oculus and Valve headsets are made in China. You don’t believe this makes you complicit with the actions of their countries’ governments, and nor do I.

          I’m not happy with what’s going on in the world either, but I do believe that virtual reality has the potential to be a powerful way to address some of the issues we face.

    • You cant play Half Life ALyx anywhere else :D

      Or any Valve VR game.

    • @flamaest:disqus
      We apologize for disappointing you and many other consumer supporters when we pivoted to the commercial market years ago. We regretted this move, but we felt we had no choice at the time. Once Omni One becomes available, we hope you’ll give us a second look. Would be great to earn back your trust and support.

  • Liam Mulligan

    I remember waiting months and months for the first omni and the goal posts kept changing. After 6 months i gave up and had to get quite angry to get a refund. It was then cancelled not long after. The payoff to walk awkwardely is no longer worth it imo.

    • flamaest

      I waited 3 YEARS to get mine delivered, then they left home users in the dust.

    • @liam_mulligan:disqus

      @flamaest:disqus
      Our thanks to both of you for your early support. Designing and producing the first Omni (now called Omni Pro) was indeed a much more difficult and time-consuming process than we anticipated. We hope you’ll give us another chance. We’d love to earn back your support.

      • JustNiz

        It was difficult and time-consuming because the whole idea of a slippy surface is a fundamentally broken one. You guys need to go back to the drawing board and throw out any ideas where the floor isn’t flat and not powered in some way.

  • I live in Austin, and for years I wanted to try out the Omni hoping it would be an immersive locomotion solution, also help with motion sickness. When I finally got to try at the Pinballz arcade here, I was so disappointed. It did not feel like walking AT ALL and it was very nauseating. It feels like you are continuously slipping on ice but never fall. The motion does not match your feet and any dips in the terrain give a terrible dropping feeling that induces motion sickness immediately. Plus every time I’ve returned to the arcade, I have never seen a single person using their extremely expensive VR Arena. I mean it costs $15 to play so its understandable.
    Funny enough, the job I worked for was a Virtual Reality rental company, and I constantly told them what a let down the Omni was but they didn’t listen and went ahead and spent a butt load on one. So now it was my job to set the crap up and act like it’s the coolest experience ever.
    This tech is not even close to being ready for home use. There are so many bugs to work out, and honestly, I think omni directional treadmills are the wrong direction for VR locomotion to go

    • VR Cat

      Was it your first time trying it? Did you try again? Which game did you play? I don’t know why you felt you were continuously slipping, that’s not how it should be. Your feet are supposed to glide on the base, you should have full control. It sounds like the base was just too slippery for you. Too much polish being used while cleaning maybe? Anyway, in the home this is never an issue – my Omni is perfect every time I use it. In my experience the motion matches my feet quite closely and I have no problem going over hills.

      • I gave it multiple tries to make sure. I played the arena sports game and the zombie one from what i can remember. Perhaps it’s just people who have bad motion sickness but it definitely does not feel like walking

        • VR Cat

          Okay thanks, I was trying to think which of the games have dips in them. The zombie game is pretty flat from what I can remember, but Omni Arena does have ramps. That one can be pretty intense, so I always recommend you play it in decoupled mode, which is more natural. In coupled mode it’s possible to get nauseous, as your avatar is going in the direction you’re looking, not the direction your hips are facing.

      • Nosfar

        I owned one check the omni forums I posted as Nosfar. That is exactly what it feels like slipping on ice trying to find balance and making motion sickness worst (I suffer no motion sickness normally 0 )reguardless of how often you play it. As well the burden of getting into one makes the friction of VR more then its worth. It was so bad after owning it a year and communicating with Jan personally I threw it in the dump because I could not in good conscience sell it to someone else. That being said this product seems to address a lot of the issues I had. But once bitten.

        • VR Cat

          Did you have the old version where the harness had legs straps? And were you using the dedicated shoes instead of the newer overshoes? Did you get the maintenance kit? That’s really useful for ensuring you have just the right level of friction every time, it’s what I use. There haver been a lot of changes, and together they make a big difference to the experience. In a way it was sad that any of the old version of the Omni were let out into the wild, as it resulted in some negative reviews. The newer ones (including mine) are great, but few people have them because of the switch to commercial. I’m hoping that once Omni One is out and people are loving it, some of the people who had the early versions will give it a chance. They deserve to have the experience they dreamed of.

          • Nosfar

            No I did not I had the product they shipped to me for 400 plus the 1000 I spent on it. NOR did they contact me and offer any kind of replacement of parts though I was in constant contact with Jan. I was fairly known on these forums then and the Virtux forums and was never made aware if any replacements were available, But on that note they never told anyone anything until the few of us that actually remembered we had bought it started contacting friends in the non Vr gaming media and it started getting traction. As well I plan on being just as vocal this time around .

          • Nosfar

            And if I remember VRCAT did you not produce the YouTube videos for them until you hired on as a forum moderator and removed the videos. Several Skyrim and GTA 5 using Vorpex?

          • asdf

            yuppppp hmm so the one guy hired by them is the only one on here saying good things about them…. intersting.

          • HI Nosfar, thanks for your early support. We hope with Omni One, we can finally deliver on the promise of active home VR and win back your support.

      • James Cobalt

        My experiences with the Omni are exactly the same. And I’ve heard as much from others. It’s just not the right approach at a fundamental level.

    • LazyFox

      Thanks for the feedback, Andrew. I should probably just figure out how to get a larger house for more realistic locomotion in VR :)

    • Josh

      Well, you’re wrong about it not being ready for home use. I’ve had the Omni for two years and use it all the time. My only gripes with the thing involve the inability to crouch and how long it takes to get in/out of it. This is just the next logical iteration of the design.

      That said, I just don’t trust this company anymore. I doubt anyone that bought the original Omni does, in fact. After Virtuix finished up their kickstarter fulfillment requirements (where the Omnis were sold for $450), they cut off consumer sales entirely, dropped almost all consumer support, jacked the price up by 980% (to around $7800 USD + $1000 for shipping) and sold only to commercial markets, mostly in China. Investing in Virtuix is out of the question since most of their revenue comes from a country who’s government is actively engaged in genocide, and I am personally against genocide. As far as the product itself is concerned, I imagine they’ll do exactly the same thing as they did with the first, which seemed to work well for them. Their focus is not on you, the consumer. They want your money to produce a device that they can turn around and sell to commercial VR attractions in Chinese malls.

      I seriously doubt Virtuix would be willing to make a public statement refuting the above, or denying that those are their plans for the future. So, how the fuck can we trust anything they say? For anyone that’s thinking about buying it: don’t be surprised if you get screwed over. It seems to be their business model.

      Furthermore, even if I WAS stupid enough to trust them again, doesn’t their investment/discount scheme actually make the product MORE expensive? If 40% off the price = $800, then the Omni One will cost $2k. But, if I invest $1k to get the discount and then buy the actual product for $1200 when it’s available, then I’ve actually spent $2200 for it. So…what the fuck?

      • FuckNazis

        “In exchange for their investment, typical Series A investors will receive common or preferred stock of the company, deferred stock, or deferred debt, or some combination of those”

        Just to be clear.

        Note: THat’s from a google query, that wasn’t from the Virtuix seedvestment page

      • Jeey Gshsh

        First of all, you have no idea what genocide means. If you think what China is doing in Xinjiang is considered as genocide, you need to look up the definition of the word, and actually go to Xinjiang and see for yourself. I assure you that the Uyghur culture is FAR more alive than native Indian American’s or Australian Aboriginal’s, Uyghur people, clothing, food etc are infused in the cities and villages, they are on display everywhere. Instead of constantly reading the BS our main stream media blasts out everyday. If you had just spend time to go there and see for yourself, you will realize that region is no where near what the propaganda is trying to lead you to believe.

        Other than that, I agree with your points about the company, they have gone down the wrong road and is seeking profit only, not quality.

      • @disqus_dQ4z2GvmDT:disqus I know we disappointed a lot of our early supporters when we pivoted to the commercial market. This move was necessary for a lot of reasons. The consumer VR market wasn’t a sustainable business back then, plus our original Omni (now called Omni Pro) is a very large, bulky product that ships in a crate on a pallet. It simply wouldn’t fit into most homes. We refunded all international preorders (where people live mostly in apartments) and offered refunds to any U.S. customers who wanted their money back.

        With Omni One, we believe we can finally fulfill the promise of active home VR that grabbed the world’s attention back then. We hope you’ll give us a second look, and judge us by the result.

        Regarding China: like many U.S. companies (such as Tesla), we do sell products in China. We operate from the coastal regions of Guangdong and Shanghai, and we have no activities anywhere near the area affected by the human rights abuses, which we condemn.

        • FuckNazis

          You can’t condemn the rights abuses committed by the chinese government and also work with the chinese government at the same time to sell products in china. Pick one.

          • We have no connection to the Chinese government. We have a distribution arrangement with a local entertainment group called Hero Entertainment. They distribute our original product, Omni Pro, in China. Our more recent product, Omni Arena, is sold in the U.S. only.

          • Cassie G. Boruff

            I actually gain almost $19,000-$20,000 per month using the net. I dropped my job after doing work for the same enterprise for years. I required reliable income. I was not researching for the “get rich overnight” packages as you can see all over the internet. Those all are type of ponzi network marketing systems wherein you need to initially get prospects after which sell something to friends or relatives or any person to make sure they will be in your team. Working online has many benefits like I am always home with the children. This is what I do> https://btc.do/kLN1A

    • Hi Andrew, thanks for checking out the Omni experience at Pinballz. With Omni One, we’ve applied seven years of knowhow to create a brand new product that we believe is ideally suited to home use. We hope you’ll give it a second look.

    • JustNiz

      This slippy-slidey dish idea is obviously hokey crap. Real omni-directional treadmills like this one are presumably much better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvu5FxKuqdQ

  • brubble

    Pfft, when are we going to move past this ridiculous piece of garbage?

    • BenVirtuix

      With people spending increasing amounts of time indoors, and the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle becoming more apparent, we believe that there is a great demand for VR treadmills in the home – just as there has been a demand for regular treadmills and exercise bikes. In addition, our device appeals to gamers and VR enthusiasts (not just people looking to improve their fitness), so we are confident that this is just the beginning, and we hope we can impress you once we launch Omni One!

  • mah. I’ve tried several threadmills and no one has really convinced me. Then they’re bulky and expensive, I think they don’t have potential for home usage. They work for enterprise use and LBVR though

    • BenVirtuix

      Our Omni One introduces many improvements to comfort and immersion. The removal of the ring around the waist means that you can walk with your hands down by your sides naturally, and you can swing the controllers more freely (e.g. for a game will melee weapons). Being able to kneel is also very cool, and is another reason to put the Omni One at the center of your VR play space (for VR enthusiasts). For people who are looking for home fitness, it’s more fun than regular exercise, and the bundled headset makes it very easy for people who may not already be gamers themselves.

  • sebrk

    It’s the additional store and the additional work from developers that’s keeping me from getting this. It would be a no brainer if it was just plug and play utilising existing frameworks. And then there is the subscription model. Finally Omni track record says it all. Pass for me.

    • BenVirtuix

      The bundled headset and store are appealing for people who may not already be gamers. It only takes a game studio a few hours’ worth of work to integrate our SDK, and they can also put their game on Steam. People can play using their existing VR headsets – we will have emulation software for non-native content (though this won’t be as straightforward as playing native games). The subscription is needed for online play, but purchased single-player games can be played offline without a subscription. We offered refunds to customers after our switch to commercial, and we hope to see many of our early supporters return and take a look at the Omni Omni, which is a big improvement over our earlier models, allowing jumping, kneeling, and more freedom to move your arms!

  • Nicholas

    Is there no end to these treadmill launches?

  • Gary

    What’s the point of this if I can’t even run in my usual running gait? Long term use will likely cause muscle problems because of how restricted your movement is with the waist wrap and connected suit. I’ll consider one when comes a time it doesn’t require all these silly strap on which limits your motion.

    • BenVirtuix

      Hi Gary, I’ve been using the Omni since 2013 and I have only experienced physical benefits – and some of my sessions go over 3 hours. It’s very low impact, will certainly make your legs stronger, and will help you to burn calories. Note that the base we use in the final product will be larger than the one shown in the promotional video.

  • Wow dude

    These things are too expensive to become mainstream.

    • BenVirtuix

      Our goal is to make the best VR treadmill for the home, becoming the portal to the metaverse for enthusiasts, and providing an enjoyable way for families to stay in shape. We don’t aim to sell 100 million units – Omni One is more like a Peloton bike with similar volumes (which is not “niche” though, as Peloton is now a $35bn company).

  • Scooper

    I went from excited about the product to not caring about it thanks to the comment section.

  • frenchiebong

    This thing sounds more like a scam than have actual usability. The way the company treats its backer and such.
    I guess the only way to see some kinda workable treadmill is when the big companies does it. FB or sony may come up with something first before anyone elses.

  • Govris

    I have tried this once and did not like it. It felt very unnatural to walk.

    • Andrew Jakobs

      It’s probably just something you have to get used to.

    • BenVirtuix

      The walking is much more natural with the Omni One, as we have removed the ring, so now you can have your hands down comfortably by your sides.

  • HarrisFos

    Is Virtuix actually bankrupt?

    • BenVirtuix

      No, we doubled our revenues last year and have shipped over $10 million worth of product (3,650 systems to 45 countries) to entertainment venues like Dave & Buster’s. Now we are getting ready to release an even more immersive product to consumers!

  • Josh

    I’m sorry, but I just don’t trust this company anymore. I doubt anyone that bought the original Omni does, in fact. After Virtuix finished up their kickstarter fulfillment requirements (where the Omnis were sold for $450), they cut off consumer sales entirely, dropped almost all consumer support, jacked the price up by 980% (to around $7800 USD + $1000 for shipping) and sold only to commercial markets, mostly in China. Investing in Virtuix is out of the question since most of their revenue comes from a country who’s government is actively engaged in genocide, and I am personally against genocide. As far as the product itself is concerned, I imagine they’ll do exactly the same thing as they did with the first, which seemed to work so well for them. Their focus is not on you, the consumer. They want your money to produce a device that they can turn around and sell to commercial VR attractions in Chinese malls.

    I seriously doubt Virtuix would be willing to make a public statement refuting the above, or denying that those are their plans for the future. So, how the fuck can we trust anything they say? Don’t be surprised if you get screwed over. It seems to be their business model.

    Furthermore, even if I WAS stupid enough to trust them again, doesn’t their investment/discount scheme actually make the product MORE expensive? If 40% off the price = $800, then the Omni One will cost $2k. But, if I invest $1k to get the discount and then buy the actual product for $1200 when it’s available, then I’ve actually spent $2200 for it. So…what the fuck?

  • Ethan

    “Omni one will include a subscription based model.” Alright I’ll just wait for KAT, they want us to drop 1k (Which is for sure worth it), and then subscribe to use their device. Not a chance for me at least.

    • BenVirtuix

      Similar to Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus, Omni Online is needed for online gameplay, connectivity with friends, and participating in online prize contests. Without Omni Online, Omni One can still be used to play single-player, offline games. The Omni Online subscription will be $14.95 per month.

  • Nljrgnrduk Cronoth Balnium

    WARNING: Just found this video about Virtuix. I
    would not recommend to invest in this company:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpCyhDOcDMA

    • @n@Cronoth:disqus I contacted the creator of this video and posted a comment, which he pinned to the top of the comments section. Some of the video was based on inaccurate information that he received when making the video came from an analyst who was working for competitor. We hope he’ll do a follow-up video down the road.

  • I feel bad for the people who’ve spent 12M on vaporware

    • @robbiecartwright:disqus
      I wouldn’t describe it as vaporware. Omni One is based on technology that is used in our commercial product line. But I agree that turning a prototype into a manufacturable product and getting it shipping is not a small challenge, and it’s one that many companies fail at. Fortunately at Virtuix, we have strong in-house engineering and a mature supply chain that has been successfully producing our commercial products, Omni Pro and Omni Arena. We’ll be working hard to minimize risk of delays and will keep our investors closely informed of our progress.

  • TechPassion

    I don’t understand why people are so dumb to pay money for this nonsense.
    Better to make open source, crowd funded VR headset for all this money.

    • Andrew Jakobs

      You mean like the previous failed opensource headset?

      Yeah, I also think the price is pretty steep, but I do think it certainly can give a great experience in a rather small space.. So the device itself is pretty cool IMHO.

  • brandon9271

    I think linoleum and wool socks would be much cheaper…

    • BenVirtuix

      That would be cheaper, but not as good. The footwear is designed with varying levels of friction to prevent slipping whilst still allowing the player to walk, jog, or run on the base. The user is secured in the Omni One, which features a proprietary fall prevention mechanism (we believe our device is safer than a regular treadmill) and yet you are still able to crouch, kneel, jump, and walk backwards!

  • Nicholas

    You might think they would have done it by now, yet every year there is a new virtuix consumer treadmill anounced.

    • BenVirtuix

      This is only the second consumer treadmill we have announced, but we have been very transparent with our developments in newsletter updates over the years, so it may feel as though there have been more.

  • I really wonder who is going to buy this and put it at home

    • BenVirtuix

      According to our surveys, the groups most interested in buying an Omni One for the home are VR enthusiasts, gamers, and parents. There is more detailed analysis on our SeedInvest page, but we believe buying a VR treadmill for the home makes more sense than a regular treadmill or exercise bike, given that it allows you to play games in a more immersive way, and improve your fitness at the same time.

  • oomph

    Wow i love it
    i need it

  • RagnarLothbrok

    I mean , sure I can see some use cases about this, and there would be market for that BUT …. To me VR is a portal to play games more realistically both visual wise (by being in VR itself) and physical (by moving freely, and duck, crouch, prone, jump, move left, right , forward , backward).

    With that being said the majority of the VR enthusiasts has been craving for more untethered solutions.
    Personally as owning both Oculus Quest 2 and Valve Index , I really appreciate the wireless freedom and mobility playing on the Quest 2, but I still like the overall experience on the Index for some obvious reasons. Over the course of 5 yrs owning PCVR HMD’s somehow I got used to the wires and doesn’t bothers me really (that much).
    Now why would I want another device that I attach myself onto is beyond me. Again I can see some use cases, but I don’t think the majority will be excited about one. And my biggest question here – why would they advertise it with a “shooter” game/experience.

    I play mostly OnwardVR on a regular basis and competitive, and sometimes prone position is required and obviously you can’t do that with a treadmill. You want to walk in VR to simulate real walking ?
    There’s solutions like KAT VR loco mini S or whatever it was called. 3 sensors strapped to your feets and on the waist – you’re good to go. I’ve bought one and used it couple times – it does it’s job pretty good imo. Don’t want to be “that guy”, but those guys need to advertise their products differently imo.

    • BenVirtuix

      There are many benefits to having a VR treadmill. One reason may be that you want to play an open-world game but experience nausea from using a joystick due to what is called “ocular-vestibular disconnect”. Even the act of leaning forward slightly as you take a step on the Omni One helps reassure the body’s systems that your senses are working correctly, which can prevent nausea from beginning. The fact that you are moving your legs in a natural way prevents the uncomfortable feeling that you are being “pushed” – your kinaesthetic sense detects that the motion of your legs matches what you are seeing. Our tracking enables your heading to be tied to your hips instead of your head, so you can look around freely without swaying in an unintended direction. Also, using the Omni One provides a more natural, smoother, and less jarring visual experience compared to hopping up and down on the spot (to trigger locomotion), as that results in a lot of uncomfortable up and down visual movement.

  • Geoff

    So the home based Omni hardware will require a fee based subscription too?

    • BenVirtuix

      The subscription service (Omni Online), is needed for online features including multiplayer. Without Omni Online, Omni One can still be used to play single-player, offline games.

  • sh4dow83

    “$2.996”
    That’s weird to specify have 3 digits precision for a stock price.
    And if that’s actually supposed to be $2,996 – either the number of shares is really low or somebody has lost their mind.

  • Ardra Diva

    yeah, the lost me at monthly subscription. for hardware? nah.

  • Hope the company turns around and actually begins making a product worthy of consumers that actually makes it to consumers. One that actually feels like walking would be nice too, but I won’t push to hard in that area, it’s tough to do.

    • Would be cool to get a unit to review and try to get working on some older VR games like Robo Recall. Would be interesting to see how it would work with some of those titles.

      • Caven

        Robo Recall is still teleport-only, so a treadmill won’t help without modding the game first.

  • Jonathan Winters III

    Oh yay. Another massive VR investment opportunity for people to lose money on then badmouth VR.

  • xyzs

    “t’s secured $19 million from more than 6,500 investors. ”

    World is full of rich suckers.

  • oomph2

    This is what everyone needs

  • Hi Josh, thanks for taking the time to write and for continuing to care — one way or another — about Virtuix. I hope our return to the consumer market will impress you and others who were let down when we had to call off our first attempt. Serving the consumer market was Jan’s founding vision for Virtuix, and he is determined to pull it off. This time, there will be no turning back. We have staked our future on the consumer direction. Regarding China: we are planning structural and geographical changes to our supply chain that will apply to Omni One. We’ll keep you and others informed.

    • Josh

      Thanks for your response, David! Very much unexpected, but appreciated anyway!

      I’m glad to hear about Virtuix’s commitment to the consumer market this time around, your willingness to make that statement makes me much more willing to invest. Re: China, that’s probably the best that can be realistically hoped for! I hope the transition goes smoothly when it eventually does.

      Since I might still have your eyes: Can you confirm that the Dev Kit is only being made available to investors, and why that is, if it’s the case? Is the Dev Kit version a time-limited thing that won’t be available AT ALL after the investment rounds are finished? Even if I don’t invest I could definitely see buying the Dev Kit after the beta phase in 2024, but if it’s only available to investors I really feel like my hand is being forced one way or the other. On the one hand I want the Dev Kit and I think $1600 is a reasonable amount for it, but on the other hand I don’t want to drop that kind of money on a beta product, and I don’t like that it seems to be a time-limited thing unique to this campaign, as I don’t want to reward that of behavior by investing.

      As a potential investor I also feel like this is going to be a problem with moving units, as based on the MSRP of the Omni One, there’s a really good chance most of your potential target audience probably already has HMDs of their own (I’ve got 3 for example), and unless Virtuix’s HMD (details/specs of which I can’t find anywhere) is superior or on par with an Index/Vive Pro 2/Reverb G2 etc, I can’t imagine that many people will shell out the $3000 (with tax) post-launch for the non-Dev Kit version when they could pay half as much and use the equipment they’ve already got. I feel that by not providing a SKU for people like me, you’re vastly limiting the potential audience.

      Can you clarify a bit on this?

      By the by I asked the exact same of Jan and he hasn’t had time to respond yet, but with only a day left on the campaign I need to cover my bases.

    • Peter Fayette

      Hi David,

      I am one of the investors who signed up to receive/buy an Omni One. I was wondering if you could provide me a time frame about when I might hear from Virtuix that I am next in line. Thanks for your response.
      Peter Fayette

      • Hi Peter, we’re currently limiting beta units to investors in the Austin, Texas area. Our monthly newsletter will provide updates on when we will expand the program nationwide. We haven’t announced a time frame yet.