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The future of gaming is already here [video]

Updated Apr 19th, 2013 2:45PM EDT
Video: The future of gaming is already here

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What do you get when you combine a 3D virtual reality headset with a passive omnidirectional treadmill? The future of gaming, today. Virtual reality accessory startup Virtuix on Thursday posted a demo video of its upcoming Omni — a “natural motion interface for virtual reality applications” — being used in conjunction with the Oculus Rift 3D virtual reality headgear. The video showcases the killer combination being used to play a first-person shooter and the result is mind-blowing.

The user becomes fully immersed in the game, using Virtuix’s passive treadmill to move and a gun-like controller to fire on enemies. Then, the Oculus Rift completes the virtual reality experience thanks to its dual head-mounted displays that provide a 110-degree viewing angle.

The experience offered by the Omni and Rift is something next-generation video game consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s upcoming next-generation Xbox obviously can’t even come close to competing with out of the box. A head-mounted 3D virtual reality device coupled with an omnidirectional passive treadmill places the user inside the game. The gamer can walk, run, turn and look around as if he or she is inside the complex new world created by each video game.

The Oculus Rift, which began as a crowd-funded project on Kickstarter, is now available for preorder and Virtuix is currently preparing a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the Omni.

The video demo follows below.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.