Oculus Rift finally gets UK release date, retail partners and price

The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset will finally be winging its way to UK retailers on September 20th.

Oculus confirmed the release date – and a suggested £549 price tag – in a blog post.

The Rift will be sold by the likes of Amazon, John Lewis, Currys/PC World, Harrods and GAME in the UK, with retailers featuring in-store demos of the device.

Meanwhile, the rival HTC Vive device has had its price increased to £759 following Brexit. Its had a quieter launch at retail in the UK, with sellers such as Currys/PC World and Scan already offering the item online.

"By autumn, you’ll be able to demo Rift in more than 600 retail locations across the US, Canada, and Europe," Oculus said in a statement. "Demo titles include every thrill-seeker’s favorite: The Climb, the heartwarming VR film Henry, the exotic planetary experience Farlands, and the perfect introduction to VR: Oculus Dreamdeck.

"You can schedule a demo at a retailer near you with Oculus Live. Check back often as we add new locations every week."

Plus, ‘touch demos’ are coming to in-store retail experiences globally this October.

Each Rift comes with platform game Lucky’s Tale, plus hundreds of free 3D 360 videos and VR movies and access to more ‘made-for-VR’ games and experiences on the Oculus Store.

Oculus says there are more than 30 new games scheduled to launch this year, with more than 100 games and experiences already available. The Facebook-owned company has also promised localised manuals, packaging and support for the Rift.

Earlier this year, Oculus announced a series of ‘Oculus-Ready PCs’ with partners including ASUS, Dell and Alienware.

"There’s never been a more exciting time to jump into VR," Oculus added in a statement. 

"From the immersive virtual worlds of Minecraft, to the upcoming sci-fi shooter: Damaged Core, to the made-for-VR CCG: Dragon Front launching later this year, there’s truly something for everyone."

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