Virtually ready: Sony's £280 headset brings VR to the PS4, in time for Christmas

During a press conference ahead of the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles, the firm revealed that PlayStation VR will go on sale in the US on October 13, for $399 (about £280).

A UK price and release date are still to be confirmed.

The device is unlike other virtual reality systems as it does not require a high-powered gaming PC, instead plugging in directly to the PlayStation 4 console.

Sony also said more than 50 games would be available for PlayStation VR between launch and the end of the year, while titles based on the Star Trek and Resident Evil universes were also revealed during the press conference.

A virtual reality experience based on the Batman universe was also teased during the show, and will launch in October.

Two other premium virtual reality headsets have already launched this year - HTC’s Vive and the Oculus Rift, whose parent company is owned by Facebook. Meanwhile Samsung, among other technology manufacturers, has released the Gear VR, which uses a smartphone fitted into the headset to provide the screen.

However it is the PlayStation system many believe will be the most popular with consumers because of its ease to integrate into current households by plugging into a PS4.

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Since its November 2013 launch, Sony is estimated to have sold around 55 million PS4 consoles - well ahead of the rival Microsoft Xbox One.