The dawn of virtual reality is officially upon us and excitement continues to grow over the possibilities that VR can bring to the tech-table and the world of entertainment media.

Arguably the cream of the current VR crop is the HTC Vive, a £689 PC-powered monster capable of transforming a bland real-life room into a virtual playground.

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Co-developed by smartphone manufacturer HTC and game developer/publisher Valve Corporation, the Vive marks the premiere of the SteamVR experience and is the first to encourage those strapping on a VR headset to literally take a walk in a pair of virtual shoes.

IBTimes UK recently had the chance to spend some hands-on/head-in time with the Vive and are happy to report that the experience was well worth the wait.

With the motion-tracked headset starting to pop up in select UK retail stores and with pre-orders finally arriving after a few teething issues following its official 5 April release, there are still a few key bits of information that a prospective buyer needs to know before handing over their £700.

Ahead of our full review and coverage coming soon, our video reveals our initial thoughts and observations worth knowing about the HTC Vive. Also be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a future video where several members of the IBTimes UK office witnessed the Vive's full potential for the first time with entertaining results.

HTC Vive HTC Steam VR