MARK Zuckerberg has thrown his weight behind virtual reality as a "platform of tomorrow" with Facebook purchasing the firm responsible for the Oculus Rift virtual reality gaming headset.

"This is just the start," said Zuckerberg in a blog post announcing the deal.

"After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face - just by putting on goggles in your home."

The $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR has taken the tech world by surprise.

Founded by 21-year-old college dropout Palmer Luckey, the company first came to mainstream attention in 2012 when it raised more than $2 million on crowdfunding site Kickstarter to build its first headset.

The headset, which weighs about the same as a large hardback book, uses the same basic trick virtual reality has for decades.

A HD screen is placed close to the users' eyes and sensors in the headset track the users' movements.