Oculus owners will soon be forced to make a Facebook account

When Facebook acquired Oculus back in 2014, many VR owners expressed concern that the tech giant would force users onto the controversial social media platform. While this hasn't been the case until now, with Oculus operating mostly independently, Oculus owners will soon be forced to create a Facebook account in order to use the VR Platform.

Announced on its website, Oculus released a statement saying “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.
• If you’re an existing user and already have an Oculus account, you’ll have the option to log in with Facebook and merge your Oculus and Facebook accounts.
• If you’re an existing user and choose not to merge your accounts, you can continue using your Oculus account for two years.”

After the 1st of January 2023 however, support for Oculus accounts will end, meaning that “If you choose not to merge your accounts at that time, you can continue using your device, but full functionality will require a Facebook account”. Furthermore, “All future unreleased Oculus devices will require a Facebook account, even if you already have an Oculus account.”

While Oculus positions this as a net positive, saying “Giving people a single way to log into Oculus—using their Facebook account and password— will make it easier to find, connect, and play with friends in VR,” the social media platform has been mired in controversy for years due to privacy concerns.

Though this outcome was inevitable since the purchase of Oculus in 2014, it is disappointing nonetheless. The full statement by Oculus can be found HERE.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of this move? Has this affected any of your future purchasing decisions? What do you think of Facebook? Let us know down below.

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