When it comes to innovation in the virtual reality industry, VR headsets are often at the forefront of discussion.
However, they’re not the only gadgets that are currently pushing the limits of VR forward. Another piece of gear to look out for are VR treadmills.
That’s why today, we will discuss some of our top picks for the best VR treadmills you can currently get on the market.
Winner
Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2
This is a VR omnidirectional treadmill that allows motion in all directions. You can look somewhere else within your virtual environment while moving in another direction with the help of this VR treadmill.
Runner Up
Spacewalker VR
The Spacewalker VR treadmill contains a rounded platform that can transform a full 360 degrees. Additionally, it has a conveyor belt system that can move infinitely backwards and forwards to simulate walking and running.
Also Great
Infinadeck
Infinadeck markets itself as the only “true” omnidirectional virtual reality treadmill in the market. In all fairness, that’s true since the platform allows you to walk in pretty much any direction you want with ease. It’s highly compatible with mainstream headsets such as the HTC Vive Pro.
Now that you have a brief idea of what to expect, let’s delve deeper to find the perfect choice for you.
Best VR Treadmills - Top 3 Reviews
#1: Best All-Around VR Treadmill - Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2 Review
The Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2 is the second iteration of the flagship VR treadmill by Cyberith. It’s a pressure-sensitive platform that allows users to walk in any direction in 360 degrees.
The VR treadmill consists of a sophisticated optical sensor system that not only keeps track of your movement but also of your body’s positioning. This allows you to perform a number of different actions in-game such as jumping, kicking, punching, crouching, and even sitting.
The company provides software with the treadmill that allows developers to use the Virtualizer with non-VR games as well by emulating a keyboard and mouse.
Furthermore, if you are a developer that’s interested in VR, you can also take advantage of their software development kit (SDK).
You can already find a number of software packages for Unreal and Unity engines.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2
Price: Similar to other virtual reality treadmills, the Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2 is fairly expensive. However, that price is justified since the technology is developed from the ground up with state-of-the-art research and development.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2 is impeccable and definitely how a premium product should feel. It’s highly durable and will definitely serve you for many years to come.
Compatibility: The Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2 is great in this regard since it works with most mainstream VR headsets that you’d typically have or use. This includes the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive Pro, and many more.
There’s also support for third-party motion trackers as well as VR controllers.
- Highly sturdy
- Sleek, polished design
- Compatible with popular current-gen VR headsets
- Smooth platform motion
- Trackers for different body positions
- Expensive
Best All-Around VR Treadmill
The best all-around VR treadmill is the Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2 thanks to its smooth motion, accurate tracking and great compatibility with virtual reality headsets.
#2: Best Safe VR Treadmill - Spacewalker VR Review
Spacewalker VR is an omnidirectional treadmill created by a Turkish company. You can easily control the “speed” of the treadmill to ensure you don’t lose control as you navigate your virtual world.
Furthermore, the platform comes with a 3-point seat belt along with a safety ring to ensure you don’t fall over as you experience VR.
The platform is powered by four powerful electric motors. It uses a built-in gyroscope to ensure that the platform is properly oriented with the user’s body.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Spacewalker VR
Price: The Spacewalker VR treadmill will definitely cost you a pretty penny since it doesn’t come cheap. That being said, it definitely is a premium piece of hardware and warrants its price.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Spacewalker VR is extremely high. It’s very well-constructed and consists of highly polished components that come together to provide an extremely high-quality experience to the user.
Compatibility: Similar to some of the best VR treadmills out there, this one also ensures that it can work with most VR headsets so that you have an unobtrusive VR experience.
It works with a variety of headsets such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Cardboard.
- Quite accurate pressure sensors
- Highly safe
- Works with a variety of headsets
- Aesthetically pleasing design
- Durable
- Highly expensive
Best Safe VR Treadmill
The best safe VR treadmill is the Spacewalker VR thanks to its hard, secure outer shell along with its 3-point seat belt. Not to mention that it’s highly compatible with many mainstream virtual reality headsets as well.
#3: Best High-End VR Treadmill - Infinadeck Review
If you don’t care about the amount of money to spend and just want to get the highest quality VR treadmill possible, then this is definitely the option for you.
While this is definitely the best VR treadmill on this list as far as performance goes, we didn’t put it on top of the list since it’s out of reach for most regular consumers.
With the Infinadeck, you get contactless sensor technology that allows you to easily navigate your virtual world and have the most natural VR experience possible.
It comes with hard body limiters that are not obtrusive but also ensure that you can hold onto them in case you lose balance or feel sick.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Infinadeck
Price: As mentioned earlier, this is the most expensive VR treadmill on this list and it’s definitely something you should go for if you have a ton of money to invest.
It’s the highest-quality product that you can get and its high price is definitely justified when you look at the amount of work that has gone into its development.
Build Quality: The Infinadeck is extremely well-built and provides an experience that is extremely high-quality. You can feel the premium quality when you just hold the hard bars around the VR treadmill.
The rest of the treadmill is highly durable and is sure to last you many years or even a lifetime.
Compatibility: It works perfectly with most virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and even the Playstation VR. Although, you may have to jump through some hoops to get the last one to work.
- Automatic pace adjustment
- Responsive platform and sensors
- High compatibility
- Great safety features
- Great build quality
- Takes up a lot of space
- Extremely expensive
Best High-End VR Treadmill
The best high-end VR treadmill is the Infinadeck thanks to its sophisticated technology, responsive feedback and control, as well as its safety features.
Buyers’ Guide
It can be confusing to figure out what VR treadmill would be best for your needs and wants. That’s why many people are overwhelmed when they first check out the market for a VR treadmill.
Luckily, there are some ways through which you can assess what you require from a VR treadmill and what features you should look out for.
Once you figure out what your needs are, the process becomes a whole lot easier.
Now, all you need to do is assess VR treadmills until you find one that has all of the features you want. They’re just factors that you must look out for every time you consider a certain VR treadmill.
Some of these factors are:
Price
First off, just like any product that you buy from the market, you must consider what your budget is and how much you can realistically spend.
Virtual reality treadmills aren’t cheap as they are still a relatively new technology. Hence, you should not go into this with the mindset that you can get a super cheap deal without even worrying about it.
It’s definitely a sizable expense that you should be prepared for.
While it’s important to stay within your budget, it’s also important to keep an eye out for red flags when it comes to super cheap deals. The rule of thumb is that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Not to say that all deals are like that but if you see a super cheap VR treadmill price, it’s essential that you conduct some investigation. Look into the manufacturer of the treadmill and get an idea of what their reputation is like.
Check out user reviews for the cheap VR treadmill to ensure that it’s actually a high-quality treadmill and not just a put-together piece of scrap.
Speaking of manufacturers…
Brand
The brand you choose to go with for your virtual reality treadmill is highly important as well. You want to go for a brand that is relatively well-known within the virtual reality industry.
Since VR treadmills are a relatively new technology, you definitely would want to go with a brand that is well-established.
These would be brands that have their own research and development departments that work day and night to produce the best possible product.
Build Quality
Naturally, an omnidirectional VR treadmill is an expensive purchase. You’d want your money’s worth when it comes to the build quality of your virtual reality treadmill.
It should be well-constructed with polished edges, and high-quality components and these components should be made from high-quality materials.
Look out for cheaply-made treadmills that are only present in the market to trick people in order to make a quick buck. Conducting thorough research will help you avoid such shady manufacturers.
When you buy a VR treadmill, you will most likely do it online so it might be difficult for you to judge what the build quality will be like. In this case, your best bet is to check out user reviews for the product to see what they think of it.
Many users who use a product for a long time can sometimes post second reviews of the same product after some time has passed since they bought it. This is typically 6 months to a year.
The point is to give an update on how the product is performing and whether the user has noticed any depreciation in performance.
These types of reviews can be extremely helpful as they give you an idea not just of the initial build quality, but also of how well the product holds up over time.
Compatibility
When you use a VR treadmill, it’ll most likely be paired up with a VR headset that you’ll buy separately or that you already own.
Hence, it’s very important for you to check that the VR treadmill you intend to buy is compatible with the VR headset that you have or intend to buy.
Different VR treadmills can work well with different VR headsets, so, you definitely need to conduct some research to ensure you’ll be all set.
You definitely don’t want to get into a situation where you buy a VR treadmill that is not compatible with the VR headset that you have. In this case, you’d either have to return your treadmill and get another one or buy another VR headset.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do we need VR treadmills?
While VR treadmills are still a relatively new technology, they are already revolutionizing the way we experience virtual reality.
In a typical VR setup today with a VR headset, when you need to “walk” in a virtual environment, you usually use a VR controller.
These treadmills provide you the freedom of not using any controllers but rather, using your feet in order to walk, or even run, in your virtual environment.
How do VR treadmills work?
VR treadmills have either a sliding mechanism or a conveyor belt that can move in two directions in order to facilitate movement.
This allows you to stand in place and walk in real life and as a result, the VR treadmill takes this input and uses the data to make you move within your virtual environment.
Can VR treadmills negatively affect my health?
There’s no data to suggest that VR treadmills can be damaging to your physical health.
That being said, you can definitely get injured if you happen to slip or fall while you’re using the VR treadmill. Hence, this is something you should definitely be aware of. Always be careful when you use a VR treadmill and ensure you use the appropriate shoes.
What is the difference between an omni-directional VR treadmill and a mono-directional VR treadmill?
These are the two main types of VR treadmills currently available in the market.
An omnidirectional VR treadmill offers a wider range of movement since it’s a sliding mechanism that allows you to walk in pretty much any direction. Naturally, this provides a more dynamic range of movement within your virtual environment.
On the other hand, a mono-directional VR treadmill consists of a conveyor belt mechanism that only allows it to go forward or backward.
What are some practices to keep my VR treadmill maintained?
Some things you can do to take care of and maintain your VR treadmill include:
- Make sure that the VR treadmill is stored properly when not in use.
- Always read the instruction manual before you set up and use your VR treadmill
- Regularly clean the VR treadmill belt or tray.
Final Verdict
Those are our picks for the best VR treadmills currently on the market.
If you have a ton of money to spend, then you should definitely opt for the Infinadeck.
However, if you want to make a balance between money and value, then the Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2 is definitely a great choice. It’s well-built, highly responsive and accurate, and also, relatively easy to configure.
Which VR treadmill do you think is the best? Let us know in the comments section below.