PlayStation VR: Sony announces virtual reality headset to go on sale in October

Tech giant reveals it will cost £349 and that more than 200 developers are working on products for the device

The virtual reality console will retail at £349 .99 upon its October release (Sony)

A virtual reality headset that works with a PlayStation will go on sale in October, Sony has said.

"Ever since we unveiled PS VR during the 2014 Game Developers Conference, we've received a tremendous response from gamers and developers alike,” said Andrew House, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.

It will cost £349.99 the tech giant said, adding that more than 200 developers including EA are working on virtual reality products for the device.

It was also revealed that Lucasfilm are working on a new Star Wars virtual reality experience exclusively for the company.

The games console and technology giant first unveiled its VR system in 2014 under the name Project Morpheus, and it is powered by connecting to the PlayStation 4 console.

The release will allow the company to steal the march on its gaming rivals in the year when virtual reality is set to become a major technology trend.

However, the Facebook-owned Oculus releasing its Rift headset beginning to ship at the end of March, while HTC's Vive is going on-sale in April. At £499 and £689 respectively, PlayStation VR will be significantly cheaper, and unlike both rival systems will not require a powerful PC in order to run, instead plugging into the PlayStation 4 console.

If bought outright, brand new, such a set up would exceed £1000 in cost, and that's before the cost of the device. Neither headset is really thought to be a direct competitor of Sony's.

Samsung's is also renewing its focus on the Gear VR, following the launch of the S7 and S7 Edge phones, which act as the lower-end device's screen.