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Omni One VR Treadmill Review
Image Credit: Virtuix
Loading...Virtual Reality has had its ups and downs over the years. With an over-saturated headset market and a lot of “experiences” over games, it can be an underwhelming endeavor. I have been in love with the idea of full-game immersion since I put on my first cardboard VR headset well over a decade ago. I still use my current headset nearly daily for both exercise and recreation, so when I got the chance to review the VR treadmill from Virtuix I jumped on the offer.
The Omni One is an all-in-one setup for immersive full body VR. 
The setup is a very sturdy 48” base supporting a 42” plastic bowl that will be the surface for your walking, running, jumping, and crouching, all of which can be done in theory. The rig is also about 48” tall with a removable arm holding a secure vest for strapping into the machine. All of the components are incredibly good quality, and from delivery to full set up it took me and my partner roughly 40 minutes to have it fully assembled. Wheels on the rear allow for easy relocation, but at the end of the day it still takes up a 4-foot by 4-foot area of floor space. This also doesn’t include the additional area needed for everyone to safely flail around in-game; some people stay inside the rig space better than others.
The Omni One came out in September of 2024, and has slowly expanded its software library since. With over 50 titles to choose from–as well as the ability to connect to your Steam VR library–there is no shortage of games and apps to explore. Connecting to the PC library is fairly straightforward and definitely helps bolster their smaller in-house library. Not to say there aren’t some great games to be had if you only have access to the base library either: I played a few different games from their selection, some standouts being a post-apocalyptic sci-fi survival game called Into the Radius and a pulpy sci-fi thriller titled Hubris. Both games played well and were a blast to experience. Mainstay titles such as Arizona Sunshine 2 and Sniper Elite are also available and play well on the system. It is also worth noting that Virtuix is currently in the process of making the treadmill compatible with the Meta Quest headset. adding that library to the system in the future as well.
For those looking for a less action-oriented experience, they have a hiking simulator called Trek which uses Google Map-like camera images. Trek creates an immersive visit to places like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls and is a great way to get your steps in. The locations are currently rather limited, but I’m hoping for more with later updates as it was definitely one of my favorite apps. I am especially excited for their virtual tourism to expand with the implementation of the Virtual Terrain Walk (VTW) system. VTW takes drone footage and creates photorealistic 3-D environments that you can move freely within. This will provide the opportunity to travel to exotic locations that might not otherwise be available.
Strapping into the rig is as simple as slipping the provided shoe covers over your footwear and buckling into the vest.
Once the headset is on your head, a simple button press on your shoulder allows you to shift in 360 degrees. The anchoring arm is buttery smooth and offers very little resistance to your turning ability. Walking or running on the other hand is definitely a steep learning curve. Training your body to trust the support arm and learn the slide-step necessary to move was rather slow going for me and still doesn’t feel totally natural. I think part of that comes from the fact that at 6’2”: I am at the upper limits of the height limits and my gait is rather wide, sometimes reaching the edge of the walking bowl. My partner who is significantly smaller did not have the same problem, although they did still feel that the learning curve was rather steep.
The treadmill is advertised as a way to exercise and it is definitely that: moving around for any amount of time requires quite a bit of effort. Walking feels akin to pulling a half loaded cart through the world behind you at all times. As time goes by and you learn to better keep yourself centered in the rig this lessens but never completely disappears. The moonwalk-esque version of walking can be a bit alarming at first as feeling your foot slide when you put weight on it feels unnatural and momentarily alarming. Jumping and crouching additionally add to the difficulty because of the resistance of the rig and the balance required to land on a slippery surface.
As you continue to use the motions, it begins to feel more fluid. While I have yet to reach a fully natural state, I no longer have any issue moving around in games and do enjoy the experience. Unfortunately my partner suffers from some of the worst motion sickness I have ever seen, and even with the mitigation through bodily movement, they still cannot use the treadmill for any amount of time.
The vest and overshoes are comfortable and easy to use even with the headset in place. There is a significant amount of items to make sure you keep charged as there are two controllers, two foot sensors, and the headset all to keep track of. Thankfully enough wires are provided to charge all of them and there is a convenient storage compartment that easily holds all of the wires and a cleaning cloth for the bowl. The storage compartment isn’t large enough for the overshoes, which should also be kept up off the floor as they are designed to slide on the treadmill surface and introducing outside particulate makes for a less slidey experience.` The included Pico 4 headset works well and has some great features such as eye tracking to cut down on motion-related issues for most people. When in see-through mode though it feels weirdly magnified and can be a bit disorienting.
Overall the Omni One has been a fun experience, and while it has not replaced my daily-use headset, it has worked its way into my regular rotation. The immersion provided is worlds beyond that of most other current headsets. Unfortunately that immersion comes with a price tag over $3.000 which will limit the ability of most to have this captivating experience. While I don’t think this is the final step for the VR world, I do think that overall Virtuix is making impressive strides towards a more cohesive and immersive experience and I am excited to see what the future holds.
