Oculus Quest 2 Forces You to Use a Facebook Account

If you recently purchased an Oculus Quest 2, there’s something you should know before you begin setting everything up.

On their blog, Oculus confirmed that everyone with a Quest 2 and anyone who’s a new Oculus user (those without an existing account) will be required to use a Facebook account.

Existing Oculus accounts can continue to be used on Oculus devices, with the exception of the Quest 2, for the time being. That said, support for Oculus accounts will end on January 1, 2023. 

Oculus Quest 2 Forces You to Use a Facebook Account

If you’re a VR enthusiast who recently purchased a shiny new Oculus Quest 2, you’ll likely be looking for information about whether or not you’re stuck using a Facebook account. The unfortunate answer in this situation is yes, all Oculus Quest 2 owners and gamers without existing Oculus accounts will have to use Facebook accounts with their Oculus devices. 

Oculus actually announced that this was going to happen back in August, but that doesn’t make it any less surprising for new Quest 2 owners who are eager to give VR games like Beat Saber a try. When you begin setting up your Quest 2, you’ll have to give Oculus permission to access your Facebook account. If you have an Oculus account already, you can merge it with your Facebook account.

If you don’t use Facebook, you’ll have to set up an account. As mentioned above, the Oculus Quest 2 won’t let you use your Oculus account. You have to use a Facebook account with your Quest 2. The reason for the shift towards mandatory Facebook integration stems from Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus and the shift towards social VR. On their blog, Oculus describes the situation as follows: 

“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. We know that social VR has so much more to offer, and this change will make it possible to integrate many of the features people know and love on Facebook.” 

The blog post goes on to talk about some of the benefits of using a Facebook account from multiplayer and social experiences, to chatting and turning live experiences into Oculus Venues. With concerts cancelled into 2021 (or longer, it’s hard to say at this point) the idea of attending a virtual event sounds appealing. 

Of course, not everyone is comfortable using Facebook based on things like data collection and the desire to reduce time spent on social media platforms. All of which is understandable, and can be a real pain to gamers who love what the Oculus Quest 2 has to offer but feel uncomfortable creating or using a Facebook account.

When it comes to privacy settings, you are able to hide your Facebook name by making it visible to yourself only. You can look through and adjust other privacy settings through your headset and through the Oculus app. One way the headset will keep your Facebook info private is by having you set up a VR profile. Note that the profile photo you choose and the username you choose will be public.

You can use a nondescript photo, like a pumpkin or a cup of coffee, and pair it with a nondescript name like VirtualRealityUser101 (we’re bad at examples forgive us). 

Again, if you purchased a Quest 2 you will have to use a Facebook account to use your device, you can’t use your existing Oculus account. For other devices like the Rift, you can continue to use your Oculus account but keep in mind that support for Oculus accounts will end on January 1, 2023. 

In the event Oculus releases a new VR device between now and 2023, that device will require you to use a Facebook account the same way the Quest 2 does even if you have an Oculus account. All of this is important to keep in mind when making an informed decision as to which VR headset you’d like to purchase. 

The Oculus Quest 2 is available now starting at $299 and is compatible with Oculus Link (cable not included, you’ll have to purchase this accessory separately).