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How to get an Oculus Rift in the UK, right flippin' now

Everything you need to know to get started

How to get an Oculus Rift in the UK, right flippin' now
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DK2

So, you've decided to become a Rift early adopter. Welcome to the party!

Whether you're getting on board because it's the "next big thing"™ or you fancy the idea of escaping a hungry hungry Xenomorph in virtual reality, you might be wondering how to get your hands on one.

The How is actually pretty simple.

You can just go to the Oculus site and buy a developer unit for the princely sum of $350. You'll also have to pay postage and import tax to your country. For the UK that is, at the time of writing, $462 all in. Which works out to be about £295.

If you'd prefer to get one from a shop, your best bet is trade-in central CEX which has some units at some stores. They charge a lot at £325 for the DK2 and £175 for the DK1, mind you.

Anyway. £300 can get you a lot in this day and age so perhaps the bigger question is the Why. Even the DK2 FAQ page tells consumers to wait. "It'll be worth the wait!" they say. But they don't know you. They don't know about your needs.

If you want to take the plunge anyway, there are some things to consider:

Technical requirements 01

At a minimum you're going to need a desktop computer running Windows 7 or 8, two USB 2.0 ports (one powered), and a dedicated DirectX 11 compatible graphics card with a DVI-D or HDMI graphics output.

Most decent gaming PCs built in the last three to four years should be able to handle this easy enough.

Oculus recommends that your graphics card is capable of running current gen games at 1080p with 75FPS or higher.

This is a little tougher, but using this benchmark should ensure you don't drop your money on a brand new Rift only to find out nothing works. This is important because:

It's Not Just For Christmas Dirt rally

All sales are final. If it doesn't work, VR isn't for you or you're feeling about angsty about the £300 you just spent on a headset to let you pretend to be a fighter pilot, once you've received it you're stuck with it.

In terms of damages, Oculus say that it will deal with each fault on a "case by case" basis, but this isn't as scary as it sounds. Because the Rift is a brand new product there's a chance you'll get a fault they've never seen before.

Most of the games aren't out yet 02

Many of the Made-for-VR games aren't out yet. There are plenty of great games you can play now, and you can play plenty of in development games using the Oculus store.

This is a blessing or a curse depending on how you feel about it. I've enjoyed playing with the new demos and getting a feel for what the Oculus can produce, even at this early stage.

It's a tough choice to make. There's plenty of reasons to go invest in a headset and go full Lawnmower Man, but the cost and technical procedures could be prohibitive for some.

The Oculus Rift proper will debut in early 2016.

Jake Tucker
Jake Tucker
Jake's love of games was kindled by his PlayStation. Games like Metal Gear Solid and Streets of Rage ignited a passion that has lasted nearly 20 years. When he's not writing about games, he's fruitlessly trying to explain Dota 2 to anyone that will listen.