Gamers have been eagerly awaiting the release of the first virtual reality headsets this year, and there are numerous brands to choose from.

Virtual reality or VR is a 3D, computer-stimulated, digitally recorded view of the world, allowing you to experience things as close to reality as possible.

With HTC's Vive available for pre-order from Monday February 29, virtual reality headsets are the newest tech craze, but there is also Facebook's Oculus Rift, Sony's Playstation VR, Google's Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR that come with varying price tags and slightly different accessories so it's good to know all about each model.

While there is currently no definitive games line-up, titles Lucky’s Tale and EVE: Valkyrie will be ready to go at launch. Add to that a number of previously released games, including Alien: Isolation, which are partly or fully supporting the tech – then there are thought to be around 100 titles coming in 2016.

Unsurprisingly it is the gaming market VR makers are going for first. But there are also educational aspects for VR – including Medium, Oculus’s 3D sculpting software, and a first person Apollo astronaut experience.

So here's what you need to know about the different VR headsets and where you can buy them.

HTC Vive

HTC Vive virtual reality headset is available to pre-order from Monday February 29

This headset is available to pre-order at www.htcvive.com from Monday February 29, with delivery expected in April, and is a huge rival to the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR.

The price was unveiled for Vive earlier this week and it's going to be a whopping £555. While this may seem a hefty sum, if you're going to invest in a VR headset, then Vive compared to the Oculus Rift headset which is £425, is better value for money.

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With Vive you get much more in your package including the Vive Link Box and Base Stations and a pair of 360-degree Vive Controllers and earbuds - to completely immerse you in your virtual world and a couple of VR games.

Facebook's Oculus Rift

Facebook's Oculus Rift headset is £499

Facebook’s Oculus Rift is already available for pre-order at shop.oculus.com and is expecting to ship in late March.

Facebook is hoping to corner the VR market straight out of the starting blocks, claiming the Rift to be the best of the headsets.

It's £499 for the headset itself, and a further package, expected to include a PC with the spec needed to run the technology, is priced at £1,030.

You'll get the headset which comes with headphones and microphone, a sensor, a device that acts as positional tracking for the headset, an Oculus Remote control and Xbox One controller and USB and HDMI cables to connect to the PC.

Google Cardboard

Google Cardboard is the most affordable way to experience Virtual Reality

If you want to experience Virtual Reality without breaking the bank, then Google's simple Cardboard headset is one for you.

It's a cardboard viewer which is used with a smartphone and costs about £14, making it accessible to everyone. Google Cardboard supports larger phones with screens up to 6 inches and has a new button that works with any phone.

You can build in just three steps and buy it now from www.google.com. You just have to find the Cardboard viewer that fits your smartphone best.

Google Cardboard can be used with various apps including YouTube, Expeditions - which lets teachers take students on field trips to anywhere and Tilt Brush Gallery which allows you to load pre-made sketches and watch them draw as they were originally created in the painting application Tilt Brush.

Samsung Gear VR

Samsung Gear VR headset which is available for £80

Samsung's Virtual Reality headset is priced at £80 and is compatible with Galaxy Note5, S6 edge+, S6 and S6 edge, and simply plugs into your smartphone.

To use the Virtual Reality headset, which is promoted as lightweight as it's 318g, you just have to take your Galaxy smartphone and slide in the Gear VR.

You can buy the Gear VR now from Amazon or www.bestbuy.com. You will just get the headset though, so if you want the SteelSeries Stratus XL control you'll have to buy this separately at Amazon for £43.77.

There is various content so that you can experience VR including Netflix, games and videos.

Sony’s Playstation VR

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Sony's Playstation VR has also appeared on Amazon – initially priced at £550 – a price which was swiftly removed.

And although we don't know much about the headset right now, Sony will be unveiling more at the PSVR-focused event on March 15 at the Game Developers conference in San Francisco.

So we'll soon know more about the price and release date.

Although what we do know is that PlayStation VR creates two sets of images - one for the headset and one for a TV - so that other players can get involved.

Some Playstation VR games have already been released too such as RIGS Mechanised Combat League, EVE: Valkyrie, Robinson: The Journey, Battlezone and SUPERHYPERCUBE.