Virtuix are now taking preorders on their omni treadmill game controller. It’s not shipping till next March but if you want to throw $500 at something that won’t materialise for another six months you now have that option.
The preorder options appeared on Virtuix’s website late last week. There are two flavours on offer: you can buy a single treadmill for $499 or two for $1,019. I assume, considering the cost of two singles is less than a double, that you make a saving on the shipping.
One of the knock on effects of the Virtuix that a lot of people have pointed out is that if you’re now walking and running in your games you will be burning a lot of energy. The Virtuix could be one of the best exercise machines invented – especially if you’re the type to play Skyrim for hours on end. That’s hours of walking about the virtual world burning calories all the while. Take that Kinect and Wii Fit.
It would be good to see Oculus and Virtuix pairing up and offering a bundle of their two devices. If you were to couple a Virtuix treadmill with an Oculus Rift (which is at least another $200) you’d have an excellent virtual reality experience.
Both the devices are still in their development stages, unfortunately. This time next year, though. This time next year we’ll be able to get our hands on the futuristic set up that’s been touted in films for years now.