Back when Meta was still Facebook and Oculus was still Oculus, the Oculus Quest 2 launched. It was an improvement on its predecessor in every way. Except one. You needed a Facebook account to use it. Delete your Facebook account, and you lose everything you purchased on your VR hardware. We were… unimpressed.
The problem behind it seems obvious. In order to use your VR hardware, you either had to sign up for, or retain, a Facebook account. And since Facebook (now Meta) around that time was being a little… lax… when it came to user data, that wasn’t an attractive prospect. Well, things have changed, as things tend to do.
Changing the Meta
Instead of requiring a Facebook account to function, Meta VR hardware owners can now set up a completely separate Meta account. Long story short, you can delete your Facebook account if you want to. But first, you really need to migrate your VR data over to this all-new account that totally won’t link you to Meta’s metaverse plans in the very near future. /s
“You can set up a Meta account using your email address or Facebook account, and as part of the process we’ll migrate your existing VR information (including apps, achievements, and friends) to this account,” the company said. It’s gone about this the right way, letting users who want to ditch Facebook as a login method move all of their existing stuff over. Which is great, because you’re not being given a choice beyond that.
Read More: Oculus Quest 2 – Come with us on an(other) entertaining Quest
You don’t have to make the jump right away, but, eventually, you’ll have to. You’ve got until just before 1 January 2023. After that, you’ll be forced to sign up for a Meta account in order to use the hardware you’ve paid for. This doesn’t really change the situation much — an account is required, either way, and you’re being funneled to a specific one whether you like it or not. Those who still use an Oculus account are in the same boat, too. Come 2023, you’ll have to make the jump. You’ll also be governed by a couple of new terms of service agreements, so you should probably check those out.