In 2014 people were derrided for their views on Facebook's takeover of Oculus

[LordFeste]

It took them 13 years to realise their ultimate destination of using oculus to prop up their failing social media powerbase. From their corporate statement of intent that VR was just a means to continue to collect your data and sell it on the highest bidder, to dropping mobile headsets on the market to promote uptake. It was theirs for the taking.

Complete Facebook branding and removal of oculus's independence from the picture, but they got their wish.

It was inevitable that you would sign up to be sucked in to their ecosystem

From October 2020, Facebook will require anyone using an Oculus device for the first time to log in via a Facebook account. It will no longer be possible to sign-up with a separate Oculus ID. In addition, starting in 2023 the social media giant will end support for existing Oculus accounts and attach “full functionality” of its headsets to the use of a Facebook account.

[source]

 

[Ravenger]

I could see this coming but I'm still disappointed. This isn't like an apple or steam account login. Facebook connects your account with all your real-life contacts it can find, even if you set privacy options. Creating a dummy account is also against their T&C's so you could risk losing all your content if you don't use your actual info.

I'm doubly glad now that I jumped to the Index for PC VR, but there's no competitor for the Quest, which I use frequently. That leaves me in a difficult position, as I've been very much against getting a facebook account for privacy reasons.

I was planning to get the new Quest at some point, but I probably won't now, and I'll be very reluctant to spend any more money on the Oculus platform.

 

[Shaolin Chicken]

I have a Rift S, never used, just learnt about this news, think it's time to sell it on quick.
Don't have a facebook account and don't want one either, horrible company.

 

[Gengar]

Thats a shame. Guess I will prob stop using my Rift S in 2023!
Hardly use it anyway to be fair - VR gaming was great for a while, but still prefer pancake gaming.

 

[Gray2233]

Ouch.

Not a fan of Facebook or most social media in general, hard pass from me if I'm required to make a FB account to use VR.

There's other options on the market.

 

[krooton]

As a FB user of 13 years, not bothered.

 

[Begbie]

Yeah, this is enough to stop me buying. And I use FB.

 

[randal]

Why should I be forced to use a social network account to use a specific piece of hardware? Motivated me to finish Alyx and hock my Rift S.

It's an utterly ridiculous concept.

 

[Zefan]

I imagine this is largely so that they can more easily encourage adoption of their own version of Ready Player One's Oasis: Oculus Horizon.

 

[Reppyboyo]

Saw this coming but still disappointed.
Been using fb less and less and intend to remove it altogether soon.

Guess it's time to fling the rift s and save for an Index.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Not remotely surprising.

 

[jsmoke]

Facebook was kind of exciting in around 2008 now it's garbage, I'm sad people still use it. The old days were better with friends reunited and MySpace then bebo. I hope FB disappears for good.

 

[LoadsaMoney]

 

[ttaskmaster]

Can none of you work out how to create a fake FB account, then.....?

 

[Ravenger]

Can none of you work out how to create a fake FB account, then.....?

It's against Facebook's TOS, and they have banned accounts that have done this.

My biggest concern is that if they ban your account for any reason - reasons that could have nothing to to with your VR usage - then you lose all your purchased content.

I've never heard of an Oculus Account being banned, but I've heard of plenty of Facebook accounts being banned for spurious reasons, and users being unable to get Facebook to unban them. These social media companies often make it almost impossible to find out the reason for the ban too, just citing that you broke their terms of service without specifying a reason, making it impossible to challenge.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Vive it is, then... Steam will be delighted.

 

[Bravetart]

Seems a bit of a silly move. I have a FB account and a Rift which has served me well but I can see why people would be annoyed at this, particularly as they said it wouldn't be required originally. HP Reverb G2 is probably the one I'd wait for and buy now though...Massively put off by the prospect of having to mount sensors in a room.

 

[melmac]

It's against Facebook's TOS, and they have banned accounts that have done this.

My biggest concern is that if they ban your account for any reason - reasons that could have nothing to to with your VR usage - then you lose all your purchased content.

I've never heard of an Oculus Account being banned, but I've heard of plenty of Facebook accounts being banned for spurious reasons, and users being unable to get Facebook to unban them. These social media companies often make it almost impossible to find out the reason for the ban too, just citing that you broke their terms of service without specifying a reason, making it impossible to challenge.

If you make a fake account with no friends and fully private your account will never be banned.

 

[Ravenger]

If you make a fake account with no friends and fully private your account will never be banned.

Facebook also lock inactive accounts or accounts they think are fake and require you to upload Photo ID to prove who you are. You shouldn't have to do that to access a VR headset!

 

[Hellsmk2]

Don't make a fake account... Just don't by oculus headsets.

I don't have a fb account, and would rather just not use my rift.

They've effectively just served themselves on a platter to steam and HTC.