Oculus Rift: all you need to know about virtual reality

How does a headset work, how much will they cost and what will the first one be like?

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(Image credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Shell)

This could be the year of virtual reality, at least in the minds of some critics. Several high-profile headset launches are scheduled for 2016, but how has the technology come back to the fore after time out in the cold, how does it work and what should we make of the soon-to-launch Oculus Rift – the first major headset to launch?

Why is virtual reality being hyped?

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