A developer one of omnidirectional treadmill for virtual reality games has created a video showing The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim in use with their treadmill along with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and several Wii accessories to create an experience unlike any other.

Cyberith, the creators of the Virtualizer omnidirectional treadmill that is seen in the video, shows how first person games such as Skyrim can take advantage of the Oculus Rift and use modified Wii controllers such as the Wiimote and Wii Nunchuck to control characters. The demonstrator is able to walk around the world of the game using the treadmill, and he is seen fighting various enemies using the Wii controllers to move the character's arms. Because the game is in first person, the user has to turn his head around if he wants to see different parts of the world, and the combination of all these elements make the player feel more immersed in the game than it was previously thought possible.

The Virtualizer is not yet available for sale, but it is not the only omnidirectional treadmill being worked on for gamers. Virtuix Omni is creating their own version of the technology, and preorders are available starting at $499. This, combined with the fact that the developer version of the Oculus Rift headset (which is the only one available to users currently) costs $300 means that those who wish to mimic this experience will need plenty of cash along with knowledge of programming to pull it all together.

Omnidirectional treadmills work by allowing users to run in place while using virtual reality technology while the machine picks up what direction they are heading and at what speed. The treadmill can pick up 360 degrees of direction, so users can run forwards, backpedal while facing forward still, and even strafe sideways to avoid danger. This level of control creates a much more realistic game environment where users will actually have to move in order to control their character and could be used both as a immersion tool and as an exercising machine. After all, if users have to sprint around a game to avoid danger with the Virtualizer, then they will actually have to sprint and exercise their muscles to make it happen.
While demos like this certainly are exciting, it may be some time before virtual reality gaming becomes mainstream. Until the technology becomes more affordable and companies commit to creating games for the technology videos such as this will be all gamers will have to look forward to.