Although UK customers have been able to order the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset from the company's US website, the device is now officially available to buy from several UK stores today, 20 September.

John Lewis, Curry's PC World, Game and Harrods all stock the £549 headset, while Amazon.co.uk now offers the Oculus Rift for delivery without lengthy shipping times from the States.

Interested parties can also visit stores to get demo time with a Rift, in order to find out what the fuss is all about themselves.

Head to live.oculus.com and you can search by postcode for the nearest store featuring live demos. We found John Lewis and Game branches in London, for example. Other stores around the country might be more suitable for you.

The Oculus Rift headset is the only main device on the market that comes with integrated headphones - both the HTC Vive and forthcoming PlayStation VR devices require separate audio hardware.

It features two 1080 x 1200 pixel OLED screens - one for each eye - running at 90Hz (frames per second), ensuring high quality, smooth action, preventing eye strain or nausea. And there are now plenty of games and experiences available to download through the online Oculus Store.

Pocket-lint is currently in the process of testing the headset fully and will post an in-depth review soon.