Google's Daydream View VR headset to go on sale in the UK next week

But it's only compatible with the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, at the moment

Google's Daydream View VR headset will go on sale in the UK next week, with the device available from the Google Play Store or branches of Carphone Warehouse.

However, the device is currently only compatible with Google's Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, which will severely limit its initial traction. The device will be released in the UK, US, Canada, Germany and Australia next week.

"With Daydream View and a Daydream-ready phone like Pixel you'll be able to kick back in your personal cinema, explore new worlds and get in the game like never before," Google quipped.

The headset will cost £69 in the UK, and can be picked up from Google Play and Carphone Warehouse. EE will also sell the fabric-coated wearable.

Announced last month, the Daydream View is 30 per cent lighter than other smartphone-powered VR headsets, according to Google, and is easier to use. The handset automatically switches to VR mode when the latch is opened and a Daydream-compatible phone is inserted.

Once you've strapped the Daydream View to your face, you can navigate around Google's Daydream platform, which offers content from the likes of The New York Times, CNN, IMAX and developers Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, which you'll find at the firm's Oculus-style VR marketplace.

Google's latest post touted Hulu VR, YouTube VR, Google Play Movies and Street View as some of the apps coming to Daydream in the next few weeks.

Daydream View, which follows the success of the firm's Cardboard viewer, also comes with a Wii-style handheld controller for more immersive experiences, which fits inside the headset so you don't lose it.

The Google Daydream View will launch initially in a 'Slate' model, and 'Snow' (white) and 'Crimson' (red, FFS) models will arrive later this year.