Oculus Rift developer, Oculus VR, has said made the consumer version of the virtual reality technology available to pre-order for a commercial release in March.

The device went on general sale for pre-order from 6 January at 4PM GMT. The company also says it is giving away a free finished version of the technology to anyone who pledged enough for a developer kit on the initial Kickstarter campaign.

VR is about to take a big step into the mainstream, with not only the Rift, but also the newly announced HTC Vive, Playstation VR and Microsoft Hololens all preparing for a commercial launch.

The technology has already been incorporated into the attractions industry, arguably most impressively combining VR with a rollercoaster to create a completely new type of simulation.

Since it was first announced in 2013, Oculus has gone from strength-to-strength, being acquired by Facebook in a US$2bn (€1.5bn, £1.2bn) deal and also forging partnerships with Microsoft and Samsung.

“When you put on Oculus, you'll feel like you instantly teleported into adventures like deep-sea diving, piloting a starfighter or playing in a band on stage,” said Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

“More than 100 virtual reality games and other experiences are coming this year. And long term, I believe virtual reality has the potential to change the way we live, work and communicate in many ways. Today is an important step towards that future.”

The device ships at US$599 (€557, £409), selling in the UK at £499 (US$730, €679).