Oculus announces a major, controversial change for new Oculus users: They need to have a Facebook account starting this fall.
Starting in October, anyone using the Oculus device for the first time will have to log in with their Facebook account, according to Tuesday’s announcement.
Existing users have the option to merge their Oculus account with their Facebook accounts. But by January 2023, Oculus accounts will be disabled and everyone will have to go through their Facebook account. That means if you are not on Facebook or planning to remove your Facebook due to many privacy issues, you will not be able to use an Oculus device.
“Giving people a way to access Oculus – using their Facebook account and password – will make it easier to find, connect, and play with friends in VR,” Oculus said in a statement. “We know that social VR has a lot more to offer, and this change will make it possible to integrate many features that people know and love on Facebook. It will also allow us to show a lot of the power of Facebook and social experiences coming soon in VR. ”
The announcement met with immediate reaction on Twitter, with users saying they would no longer accept the Oculus device.
Welp, it looks like I won’t get an Oculus. I’m sorry @Facebook, one way I will log back in is to delete my profile https://t.co/igbjjPUDut
& mdash; Jona Hernandez (@oluwajesu) August 18, 2020
Seeing as Oculus is letting us use Facebook passwords, I think it’s time to let my headphones go. I have three sensors, two controllers, a headset, and a box. Will board.
& mdash; IJEJU (@EXGEEAR) August 18, 2020
What if you don’t want to use facebook? This is a sure way to lose potential users and new sales… you will have to be forced to change this when this happens, mark my words. pic.twitter.com/XP3lbqRXgO
& mdash; Firebrand (@Nemoticon) August 18, 2020
Facebook bought Oculus in 2014 for $ 2 billion, and it looks like the social network is working to run the company unobtrusively by needing a Facebook page for revenue.
Digital designs have arrived on Facebook to comment on Oculus’s new access requirements. We will update this story when we hear back.
It has been a year of changes for Oculus after the company announced it will discontinue its Oculus Go VR headset in May. Oculus says it wants to focus on the Oculus Quest headset, to which customers respond more positively thanks to its six-dimensional freedom (6DOF) capabilities.
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