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Must-Have Monday: Get into the game with the next generation of virtual reality headset

Oculus Rift VR helmet

Gamers are always looking for new ways to get more out of their gaming experience, and an upcoming headset from designer Palmer Luckey promises to do just that. The Oculus Rift, a virtual realty simulator worn on the head that lets you look around the gaming environment as if you were inside a physical space.

It’s not just a run-of-the-mill VR helmet, though; the Oculus Rift delivers “vivid, three-dimensional images” as the New York Times describes it.

Cliff Bleszinski, known as “Cliffy B” to many of the Xbox loyal, tested out the headset and had very positive things to say. As the co-creator of the popular Gears of War, Bleszinski has been in the industry for quite a while and has seen many video game technologies come and go.

“The next big thing isn’t always a brand-new technology that you’ve never heard of,” Bleszinski told the New York Times. “It’s this thing that existed 10 years ago and quietly got better.”

Many of the Oculus Rift’s parts are the same as what you would find in a smartphone, like its 7-inch display and sensors for detecting how you move your head. There’s no price for it yet, but based on the parts being used and the manufacturing process Luckey is investigating, it’s likely to cost between $200-$300 – significantly less than what hospitals and the military are currently paying for virtual reality sets, anywhere between $1,000 and $50,000.

Laughing Squid reports that this is currently only being developed for use with computer games, although it doesn’t mention if there were any specific titles in mind. Developer kits are available for pre-order now and are expected to ship in April 2013.

Who would love this: PC gamers who are looking for new ways to enjoy their games, especially teens and young adults.

How much it costs: The New York Times estimates this will run consumers about $200-$300 when it’s released.

Where to get it: Currently, it’s still in the development stage, but chances are good we’ll be hearing more about it at the Electronic Entertainment Expo later this year.

Must-Have Monday is a new feature on the Yahoo! Canada News' Right Click blog, where we share a cool gadget each week. We're not paid to endorse any of these — it's just stuff we'd probably buy if someone handed us a pile of money.

Have a suggestion for next week? Contact us on Twitter at @yrightclick.

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