Goodbye Oculus

When Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014, there was predictably uproar and dismay. There were a variety of memes, like users being listened in on or Zuckerberg watching people through their devices. Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus, made promises that they would never require association with a Facebook account.

In the following years after the acquisition, Facebook surprisingly took a backseat role and allowed Oculus to continue thriving whilst also pouring massive amounts of money into Facebook Reality Labs (FRL) to work on virtual reality R&D. Of course, this ‘generosity’ didn’t come without strings attached. It was in August this year that the strings were revealed. It was announced that all existing Oculus accounts would require association with a Facebook account by 2023, and new registrations would require one immediately.

My first experience with VR - exactly 2 years ago to the day - was life-changing and what felt like a glimpse into the future. Today, I am in despair for the future of VR. Clearly, Facebook wishes to rule the VR space with an iron fist and since there are no real challengers, it is almost inevitable that they will pull ahead. Right now, most VR devices are very similar in terms of capabilty, but as Facebook’s huge R&D budget propels them forward, other manufacturers will eventually be left in the dust with inferior technology.

With the rampant data collection, countless scandals, and mass invasion of privacy from Facebook, I refuse to create an account to continue using my device beyond 2023. I wish I could say that Oculus sales would plummet under this tyranny but their latest device, Quest 2, is prospering well. The only action taken against this move that I’m aware of is an investigation from the German data regulator to which Oculus have temporarily halted sales. What this shows is that privacy is no longer an expectation or even a concern for the majority.

VR devices are fitted with microphones, cameras, and accelerometers. To put this data in direct control of such an Orwellian company would be frankly insane.

Goodbye Oculus. Whether you care or not, you’ve lost me.