Virtuix was founded in April 2013 and was one of the pioneers of the recent wave of Virtual Reality (“VR”) innovation. The launch of the Microsoft Kinect in November 2010 prompted Virtuix Founder and CEO Jan Goetgeluk to believe that virtual reality was about to make a come-back. He started working on the Omni motion platform in 2011, driven by a desire to walk naturally in VR instead of pushing buttons on a gamepad or keyboard while sitting on a chair. After two years of research and development, Goetgeluk launched the Omni Kickstarter campaign in June 2013, which raised more than $1.1MM and became one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns at that time.
In 2016, Virtuix transitioned from focusing on the consumer market to selling “Omni Pro” systems to the commercial market, primarily to location-based entertainment venues through the company’s global distribution network. Virtuix has shipped more than 3,500 Omni Pro units to date, and distributors have installed systems in over 500 entertainment venues in 45 countries, making Omni Pro the most widely distributed VR hardware besides headsets. In November 2018, Virtuix unveiled Omni Arena, a turnkey esports attraction for high-end entertainment centers that includes four Omni Pro units.
In October 2020, Virtuix unveiled Omni One, an Omni system optimized for the home, returning the company to its original vision. Omni One is a complete entertainment system that includes a standalone VR headset and its own game store. Compared to Omni Pro, Omni One no longer has a support ring. So it allows players unmatched freedom of movement, including crouching, kneeling, backing up, strafing, and jumping.
Since its Kickstarter campaign in 2013, Virtuix raised $20MM from investors including Mark Cuban, 12 venture capital funds, two strategic investors, and private investors. The company has grown to a team of 35 employees with offices in Austin, TX (its headquarters), and in Zhuhai and Shanghai, China.
The Omni enables players to explore endless VR worlds, moving freely and at full speed in 360° without hitting any walls. Movements that would otherwise require unintuitive button presses are now the result of natural motion – simply walk, run, and turn in 360° in virtual reality games and applications!
In October 2017, Virtuix launched OmniverseTM, the Omni’s proprietary content distribution and arcade management platform that includes 20+ of the world’s top VR games optimized for the Omni and location-based entertainment. Omniverse transforms the Omni into a complete entertainment solution for amusement venues. Thanks to the platform’s large offering of popular games and its leaderboard functionality, customers come back to play again and again.
In March 2019, Virtuix installed the world’s first Omni Arena, a multiplayer configuration with built-in weekly and monthly esports contests. In addition to esports, Omni Arena offers a complete guest experience, including a gameplay video that guests receive after playing and that can be shared on social media.
Walking and running in virtual reality creates an unprecedented sense of immersion. With its small footprint and affordability, Omni Arena is the ultimate multiplayer VR attraction for VR arcades and family entertainment centers around the world.
