Owners of Oculus and Meta Quest virtual reality headsets soon won't have to use their Facebook accounts to link and use their devices, which has been a major criticism of the platform. Mark Zuckerberg today announced Meta accounts, a brand-new platform made specifically for logging into and managing Meta devices, starting this August.
Meta VR headset owners will require a Meta account and a Meta Horizon profile following the change, which replace the current Facebook requirement. Those still using Oculus accounts to login will be able to do so until January 1, 2023, as previously announced.
"Your Meta account is not a social media profile; it lets you log into your VR devices and view and manage your purchased apps in one place," explains the announcement blog. "In the future, we’ll extend Meta account functionality so you can use it to log into other Meta devices."
The option to link Facebook or Instagram accounts to a Meta account will still be available for those who want access to facilities, like their friends lists, available in those social platforms.
Meanwhile, the Meta Horizon profile, which is also required, will become the social profile of the VR user, accessible in virtual reality and via other platforms. This portal will let Meta users customize their VR persona, from name and profile photo to their avatar and other aspects.
Following the change, all the Oculus friends users currently have will become Followers in this new Instagram-like format.
"This update provides more ways to be social and connect with others," Meta adds. "You can choose whether to share your active status and activity updates, like the apps you own and your achievements, with your followers."
New privacy setups are a part of Meta Horizon profiles too, with three options being offered from the get-go: Open to Everyone, Friends and Family, and Solo, with further customization available after making a choice. Marking a profile as private is available as an option too, which offers control over each follower request that is received, but doesn't block others from viewing the Horizon profile.
Find more information about the new Meta account and Horizon systems by heading to the company's dedicated portal regarding the upcoming changes here.
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