Skip to main content

Omni virtual reality treadmill is set to ship in July

The Kickstarter-funded Virtuix Omni treadmill will begin shipping its first retail units as early as July, Gamespot confirms. Customers that have already pre-ordered the device will be among those with angry and exhausted delivery men waiting at their doors this July, but if you put your order in today you may be waiting until at least September.

The Omni treadmill is currently accepting pre-orders for two packages: The first offers a single Omni device, the harness and tracking hardware you’ll need, a pair of custom shoes designed to move on the Omni’s surface, and the necessary software. The second package offers two Omni devices, all the necessary additions including software, and three pairs of shoes. The first package will run you $499, while the second costs $1,019. Shipping costs are estimated in the $60-$90 range for U.S. residents. International shipping costs will be painful – the prototype is currently estimated to weigh around 75 lbs.

Recommended Videos

Before you put away your checkbook, you’ll also need an Oculus Rift to experience the full virtual world. Virtuix confirmed that the system can accept any virtual reality headset, in theory, but it was designed in conjunction with the Oculus VR’s headset. The Oculus Rift is sold separately though, and the upcoming second generation developer kit will run you $350. There’s been no word of a release date for the Rift consumer model or what the price might be.

We’ve tried out the Omni a handful of times, including CES earlier this year, and again at GDC. The version we’ve tried, however, is the prototype. Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk recently told us that the retail model will debut around E3, although he didn’t have an exact date. It won’t be a radical reinvention of the Omni as it looks now, but it will add things like adjustable height for the harness and use different, sturdier materials in its manufacturing.

 
Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
All Grand Theft Auto games in order, by release date and chronologically
People stand on boats in Grand Theft Auto 6.

In the battle for the best open world game of all time, every other game is fighting for second place behind the Grand Theft Auto games. Ever since the third game took the series to 3D, each game has gotten bigger, better, and more popular. We wouldn't be surprised if GTA 6 might be the biggest launch in all of media, not just in games. However, the time between releases has gotten longer and longer to the point where most gamers haven't played any of the games before 3. Those who have played multiple games in the series know that Rockstar likes to bring us back to familiar settings in different time periods. There aren't as many GTA games as Call of Duty games, but playing through them in any kind of order is hard. We cut our teeth on the very first GTA and have rampaged through the entire series so we can lay out how you can play the Grand Theft Auto games in release or chronological order.

All Grand Theft Auto games in release order

Read more
The powerful HP Omen Max 16 gaming laptop with RTX 5070 Ti is $350 off today
The HP Omen Max gaming laptop with Valorant on the screen.

Gamers who want an upgrade should be on the lookout for discounts from gaming laptop deals, as these devices can get pretty expensive. You should check out the HP Omen Max 16, as its configuration with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card is on sale from HP itself for $2,150 instead of $2,500. That's $350 in savings that you can spend on video games and other accessories, but you're going to have to hurry with your purchase if you want to buy the gaming laptop at 16% off as the offer may be already gone by tomorrow.

Why you should buy the HP Omen Max 16 gaming laptop

Read more
Bravely Default HD Remaster shows the party potential of Switch 2’s mouse controls
An airship flies in Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster.

If I had to describe 2012’s Bravely Default, the very last term I’d use is “party game.” In fact, the Nintendo 3DS RPG is the anti party game. It’s a long, winding adventure that requires a tremendous amount of patience to get through. So it came as a bit of a surprise when the first thought I had after demoing its upcoming Switch 2 version, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, is that it really sells the party potential of Nintendo’s new console.

That’s not because the RPG has changed in any way; it more has to do with its new side content. During a hand-on demo, I tried my hand at the remaster’s two new minigames, which are available as bonuses from the main menu. Both are designed to use the Switch 2’s mouse controls in incredibly clever ways that left me even more eager to see what developers can do with the unique two joy-con scheme.

Read more