Anyone buying an Oculus VR headset after October this year will require a Facebook account to login to their headset and enjoy all of its VR goodness. That's according to the company and its Facebook overlords, who are touting the ease of linking up with their Facebook friends in VR as the major benefit of this move. As you might expect, Oculus users, who tend to be cutting-edge tech heads who care about their privacy, aren't huge fans of this move, prompting some to even threaten a class action lawsuit.
While new Oculus users will require a Facebook login from October onwards, existing Oculus account holders won't need to do so... yet. As of January 1 2023, every single Oculus VR user, whether you're using a first generation headset, something more recent like the Quest, or whatever comes next, will need to use Facebook to login to their headset, otherwise they won't be able to use it to its fullest.
Today, we’re announcing some important updates to how people log into Oculus devices, while still keeping their VR profile. Starting in October 2020, everyone using an Oculus device for the first time will need to log in with a Facebook account. // https://t.co/SMeDOXgehN
— Oculus (@oculus) August 18, 2020
As much as Facebook claims this is about convenience for its users, the small print suggests that it's really about data capture. Facebook will use Oculus user's information about how and when they play to not only personalize their Facebook accounts, but to better target ads at them. It seems likely that they'll also leverage it for selling to outside companies, though that's purely at Facebook's discretion.
Most of the strongest Oculus proponents have come out against this move, stating that they'll not buy a new-generation Oculus headset and will instead move to another platform, be it HTC's, HPs, or Valves.
How does this effect how you see your next generation VR buy?
