Officially kicking off in the US today, those currently touting one of Samsung's more recent Galaxy flagship devices can now pre-order the Gear VR headset. The price currently sits at $99, with the first batch of orders scheduled for shipping on 20 November.

The Gear VR, designed and built with the help of virtual reality specialists Oculus Rift, has been in the hands of developers for the past few months. Oculus says that a number of developers have already begun porting their creations over to the Gear VR platform, with titles like Land's End and Dead Secret to look forward to. Sticking with the gaming trend, Gear VR users will also have access to the Oculus Arcade, which feature 20 classic arcade style games like Pac-Man and Sonic the Hedgehog. There is also Oculus Video, allowing Gear VR wearers to watch the entire Netflix catalogue of their original content, as well as 70 films from other production studios.

Moving back to the hardware, the new Gear VR is said to be 19% lighter than the original prototype at 379 g. It also has improved "ergonomic features," according to Oculus, such as an easier to use touchpad. In terms of Samsung device compatibility, the Gear VR will work with the Galaxy S6 (review), Galaxy S6 edge (review), Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5.

For now pre-orders are limited to United States residents, with no comment yet from Samsung Mobile South Africa of the local arrival.