The Omni One by Virtuix aims to be a game-changer for at-home virtual reality experiences. However, unlike some of the other VR treadmills on the market, The Omni One isn't just a treadmill-like platform; it's an all-in-one system that includes a modified Pico 4 headset, making it a self-contained package that's as plug and play as you can get. With a focus on intuitive movement, a simplified setup, and the claim that it can provide more freedom to your virtual worlds, this system offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of consumer VR.
Setting the (Real) Virtual Stage
Setting up the Omni One is a notably streamlined experience compared my previous VR Treadmill, the KAT Walk C2. The hardware comes in a ready-to-use package that includes the Omni One platform which is the bottom of the treadmill and the metal rail that I call a "spine". Also included in the package are sensors, and a custom Pico 4 headset with its own set of controllers.
From unboxing to assembling and putting everything together, the process feels more straightforward compared to setting up the Kat Walk C2 system, which involved fiddling with the side and back rails, and putting it all together with somewhat complicated instructions. While VIrtuix did have this system setup for me with white glove service, which they offer with the purchase of the $2,595 dollar system, I watched as they quickly unboxed the bottom of the treadmill, and then slotted in the singular metal spine and back harness. It took the movers more time getting the system in the door than it did for them to put it together.
What I didn't particularly like about the KATVR C2 was that putting the system together was just the beginning. Next you had to setup the PC VR, either streaming through the PC directly or by setting up yet another peripheral called the KAT Nexus, which had limitations to what games you could play. If you're a novice at VR, this can be all be a pretty daunting task.
For the Omni One, the main piece that needed to be put together was the metal spine. I didn't need to run any additional cabling, setup any third party peripherals, or shuffle through instructions on what cross bar went where. It was a very straight forward process. After charging my headset and sensors, syncing them was a simple one button process, and the Omni One initial tutorial took me through the rest.
On the left are the KATVR shoes, while the right shows the slip on covers for the Omni One
One of the things that struck me right away was the difference in comfort levels. The Omni One takes a different approach than the KAT Walk C2, you get to wear your own shoes instead of using a proprietary set. The Omni One utilizes a slip on shoe cover that fits over the soles of your shoes. If you've never used a VR treadmill before, you don't realize how important it is that your footwear is comfortbale, and the comfort level of your own shoes will always be a better fit and feel than a pair of VR shoes that are "close enough" to your size. The Omni One's sensors are also placed on the top of the shoe instead of the bottom, which makes them easier to take on and off if you're still wearing the covers.
A Head-to-Head and Foot-to-Foot
Comparing the Omni One to the KATVR C2, it’s hard not to notice the difference in how each system approaches user comfort and mobility. The KATVR C2, while impressive in its own right, has a barebones philosophy to the treadmill harness. The straps on the C2 are primarily around the waist and it does give you slightly better upper body range of motion, but it also can cause you to overextend a lot, moving out of the safety range of the treadmill. It can also make your upper body feel a little less secure when performing moves like walking backwards.
The Omni One chest harness
The Omni One's chest strap harness stands out in a number of ways, including a greater range of vertical and horizontal motion. You'll be able to move with more fluidity, as you aren't stuck rigidly to a static metal rail. The Omni One's harness is attached to a metal spine, but it articulates enough that you get the sense of a better range of motion, but what I also like about it, is that it protects you from over extending by holding your chest in place if you reach too far forward. This is actually much better than the KATVR C2, because you don't end up hitting walls and furniture that should be out of range. The chest harness also lets you put greater pressure on the top half of your body so you can walk with a more natural gait, which you can pick up pretty easily once you learn that you can trust the metal spine to hold you in place.
What I did notice about the Omni One in comparison to the C2 was that the chest harness, while providing an overall better feel for walking, was also substantially heavier, as it's worn almost like a backpack. You get used to the weight pretty quickly once the Omni One unlocks the movement and you're in your virtual world, but it's certainly an adjustment from my experience with the C2.
Taking a Peek at Pico
The Omni One’s all-in-one nature incorporates a modified Pico 4 headset, which means you’re not reliant on owning or buying a new one. What makes this particularly enticing is that It’s a self-contained experience, freeing you from the spaghetti mess of cables or fiddling with third party platforms that can confuse people who just want to experience a game and not hours of setup. The power of the Pico 4 falls somewhere between a Meta Quest 2 and 3, making it quite a robust and visually appealing headset.
With the built in ecosystem, the modified Pico 4 performs as you'd expect a curated system would. Everything is geared towards the player experience, and getting into games like alien-weapon morphing shooter Genotype was a breeze and solidified why the system was so appealing. As someone who's spent considerable time with the KATVR system and VR in general, connecting to a PC and managing different game and control profiles for SteamVR was never fun. The major sticking point at this stage is that Omni One's catalog is a little light on games in comparison to, say, Steam VR, PlayStation VR or the Meta store. That unfortunately means that there are no native MMOs yet (though Ilysia is on the menu), but Virtuix is working on that with third party support.
The Omni One does have the ability to connect to SteamVR, which I'll test at length as I gear up for the full review. However, at this time, I've stuck with the list of games provided as part of Omni Online, which is an online service that gives players free games to play, track their progress with the greater community, and also lets VR enthusiasts buy new games in the store. There's also integration for a whole host of Web VR games you can play for free. The only thing I needed to do was download a game, and it was ready to play. That is the quintessential defining experience of the Omni One. It's a system that just works.
Early Takeaways
Overall, the Omni One offers a step forward in VR locomotion, addressing some of the challenges seen with other systems like the KatVR C2. One of the notable movement related differences between the two systems is the ability to walk backwards. While it's somewhat possible to walk backwards on the C2, I never felt comfortable doing it. The Omni One's harness makes it much easier to walk backwards, because you can push the entirety of your weight against the back rest. I've also noticed that the walking surface on the Omni One is larger, which means you can take longer striders instead of baby steps. I'm not an exceptionally tall guy, but when I'm running through a world, the larger treadmill feels better to me.
While this isn't an exhaustive comparison, I still have quite a bit left to test to put the Omni One through its paces. Luckily Virtuix is more than just hardware. The team has put together a community of VR enthusiasts with multiplayer community nights every Friday. I can't wait to see how it holds up in extended multiplayer sessions, as well as how it performs across different types of games. For now, it’s clear that Virtuix has put thought into improving user comfort and ease of use, making this one of the most promising VR locomotion platforms I've used so far. Keep an eye out for the full review, where we'll dive deeper into its gameplay capabilities and how it stands up to long-term use.
[Disclaimer: The Omni One was provided by Virtuix for the purpose of a review]