Facebook is forcing virtual reality fans to make a really tough decision

By Steven Tweedie

Facebook finally revealed that you’ll be able to buy its long-awaited virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift, early next year, and that’s left gaming enthusiasts with a big decision to make.

While there’s no doubt that the Oculus Rift is leading the charge to bring virtual reality mainstream, it’s also seen some delays following Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of Oculus early last year. Virtual reality fans were largely more than happy to wait as Oculus adjusted its strategy to take advantage of the new resources that joining Facebook offered, but while Oculus was keeping quiet in the lab another compelling competitor in the virtual reality space emerged: Valve.