You may know that recently the Quest 2 launched. It’s a VR device that allows you to put on a headset and play the games you want. There’s no requirement to have a PC plugged in, it’s all in the headset. The original Quest was awesome for exactly the same reason, and the Quest 2 is just a massive improvement on all of that. However, Facebook, the company that owns Oculus, and therefore the Quest 2, has put something quite interesting into place. You can’t use the Quest 2 without a Facebook account. This is great in one sense, because now all of your data is secure, and linked to your account on your Quest 2. However, if something happens to your Facebook account, you’re screwed. Herein lies the biggest issue with the device.
I once went on a hiking trip with my father-in-law, foster brother, and a bunch of his friends. They were all younger guys at the time. Inevitably some topless photos were taken, but because our accounts are restricted, no one who we didn’t want to see them saw them. However, one day a random person from another country commented on them. It was scary and creepy, and we all reported them. The fact that this happened alone shows that Facebook isn’t perfect.
If someone hacks your Facebook account somehow and does something untoward, your account could be closed, or restricted at the very least. That’s terrible because the social media site could be your lifeline to family. It’s also the only way you have to use your Quest 2. I can’t help but think that some people will be hit with false Facebook account restrictions, losing access to their Quest 2 as a result, leaving them with expensive paperweights.
It’s already becoming an issue. The head of VR has had to comment on the situation several times, and it’s only been about one month. So many users are hitting issues because of their Facebook account, which they assumed wouldn’t have any impact. Whilst the company is working on the issues as they crop up, it’s still not a great situation. There’s a reason that Sony and Microsoft aren’t doing something similar with your Twitter or Instagram account. In my opinion, Facebook needs to allow users to get into their devices without the social media platform before it kills the VR side of things completely.