Oculus has indicated that all of its virtual reality headset users will have to sign up with a Facebook account first in order to use the VR headset and enter the ecosystem. The company, acquired by Facebook about six years ago, has noted that it will start removing support for separate Oculus accounts in October 2020. While older users can maintain an existing account until January 1st, 2023, new users will have to create a Facebook account first in order to avail services of Oculus VR.
Facebook Mandates All Oculus VR Account Holders To Adopt Single Login Method:
The social media giant is preparing to lay the individuality of Oculus to rest, and it starts with requiring new VR headset customers to become Facebook users first. Facebook has made an official announcement that positions the impending changes as a “single way to log into Oculus and unlock social features,” consisting of two phases. Starting in October 2020, new Oculus device users will need to log in with a Facebook account, and existing Oculus device users will have two years to continue accessing their Oculus accounts. Current Oculus account holders can either choose to merge their Oculus and Facebook accounts or risk their accounts getting suspended to becoming inactive once Oculus account support officially ends.
— Oculus (@oculus) August 18, 2020 After January 1, 2023, Oculus users will still be able to use current-generation devices without Facebook accounts. However, Facebook has indicated that some apps and games might not work fully, or at all. Moreover, “all future unreleased Oculus devices will require a Facebook account.” It won’t matter if users already have an Oculus account. The new Oculus Quest S model is expected to release this year. Hence it is quite likely that Facebook is using the product launch to begin the process of permanent migration of Oculus users into the Social Media giant’s family.
— PC Gamer (@pcgamer) August 18, 2020 Incidentally, developers can keep using an unlinked developer account without social functionality. Moreover, there are several professional uses of the Oculus VR headset. But the Oculus for Business platform uses a separate login process and that will remain unchanged.
Facebook Consolidating Accounts Of Different Acquisitions?
Facebook appears to be consolidating the multiple accounts its own users have on multiple platforms the social media giant has acquired over the years. Hence a new privacy policy, which is and will be administered by Facebook itself will be applicable; not the separate Facebook Technologies hardware subsidiary. Additionally, “Facebook will manage all decisions around use, processing, retention, and sharing of your data.”
— Kent Bye VoicesOfVR (@kentbye) August 18, 2020 Facebook has indicated its intentions to assimilate the accounts of the other platforms as well. Facebook added new VR social features requiring a Facebook account and began using data gathered through Oculus in ads last year. Essentially, Facebook isn’t allowing users to retain and use a separate account of the services while staying detached from the social media company’s core services.
