On September 10, 2024, Virtuix, the Austin-based developer of the Omni multi-directional VR treadmill, will launch the long-awaited Omni One. This is the culmination of a decade of work that began with a Kickstarter campaign in 2013, but it also marks a big step for home VR. No one has ever been able to do what Wade Watts did in Ready Player One: move freely in a virtual world just as you would in real life. Omni One makes that science fiction a reality.
Virtuix was founded in 2013 by Jan Göttgerk, a mechanical engineer turned investment banker who believed virtual reality was the future of gaming. Inspired by Microsoft’s Kinect, Göttgerk envisioned a device that would allow users to physically move through a virtual space. “I realized that the biggest problem that was still unsolved was how to get around in virtual reality,” Göttgerk recalls.
Jan Goetgeluk, founder and CEO of Virtuix;
Virtueix
From that vision, Goetgeluk developed an omnidirectional treadmill that allows players to walk, run, crouch, and jump in 360 degrees. In the patented design, players are secured in a secure harness on a concave, low-friction platform. Using special overshoes that fit over regular footwear, the player’s feet slide along the platform to simulate walking. This creates the illusion of a VR experience with no physical boundaries and the ability to roam freely within a very compact footprint.
In 2013, Virtuix launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the development of Omni, raising over $1.1 million and attracting attention from tech enthusiasts and gamers alike.
CEO Jan Goetgeluk will be presenting to the Shark Tank judges.
Virtueix
After Kickstarter, Virtuix needed more funding to move beyond the prototype stage. In 2014, Goetgeluk appeared on the reality show Shark Tank to pitch Omni. Although no deals were closed on the show, the exposure caught the attention of investors. Soon after, Virtuix raised a seed round of funding, with Mark Cuban as one of the early investors. Cuban’s involvement and follow-on investments in subsequent rounds gave the company a lot more credibility, allowing Virtuix to raise over $40 million from investors.
Shark Tank – ABC Shark Tank star Mark Cuban. (Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images)Mark Cuban
ABC via Getty Images
“I believe in the Virtuix team and their technology,” Cuban said. “They are bringing to market a groundbreaking product that allows users to physically move around within a virtual world, a key element that has been missing for VR thus far.”
This capital infusion enabled Virtuix to pivot into location-based entertainment, selling commercial systems to family entertainment centers like Dave & Buster’s and Sky Zone. “We realized the consumer market wasn’t there yet, so we decided to focus on the commercial market,” Goetgeluk explains. “Our turnkey attraction, Omni Arena, allowed us to introduce our technology to consumers and build a loyal customer base.”
Installation of Omni Arena at Dave & Buster’s.
Virtueix
Omni Arena is a four-player VR esports attraction that uses the “Omni Pro” treadmill, a more powerful version of the original Kickstarter Omni. Players compete to reach the top of leaderboards and win prizes from a $100,000 annual prize pool. The attraction has become one of the most successful VR systems on the market, with 78 Omni Arena locations across the US and a dedicated player community of over 400,000 registered users.
“Players kept asking us when they could get it in their homes,” Götgeluk recalls. In 2020, Virtuix began development on Omni One, its first consumer system designed for the home. “With the advent of standalone VR headsets, we finally had the technology to realize our vision of a complete home VR system.”
With a four-foot diameter foldable design, Omni One is significantly more compact and portable than its commercial predecessor. Sold as a complete system, it comes bundled with a customized Pico 4 Enterprise headset, complete with its own game store featuring over 50 titles optimized for Omni One’s unique operating capabilities.
Omni One is the only way to experience “free roam” or warehouse-scale VR in your own home.
Virtueix
Introductory price for the Omni One is $2,595 (plus shipping), which includes both the treadmill and the $899 headset. That sounds like a lot, but Bob Cooney, an author and analyst who tracks Virtuix, says, “Virtuix seems to be taking a very conservative approach to growth. It’s all about execution, customer acquisition costs, and content management. That last one will be key, because at this price point, people’s expectations are higher.”
Virtuix has already shipped hundreds of Omni One beta units and received enthusiastic feedback from early users. The company has secured over 3,000 pre-orders for the Omni One and is now ready to start delivering its cutting-edge gaming system to consumers.
With Omni One, players will finally be able to experience the VR worlds they visit just like Wade Watts from Ready… (+) Player 1.
Virtueix
“We’re excited by the success of our pre-order campaign and the community’s excitement for Omni One,” said Goetgeluk. “Omni One is a breakthrough product that will lead to rapid revenue growth. Shipping just 3,000 units per month would drive $100 million in annual revenue. We’re ready to scale.”
“Our journey has been a long one, but we’ve stayed true to our vision,” reflects Goetgeluk. “Omni One is a game-changer, and we’re excited to bring this revolutionary product to gamers around the world.”
