Players won’t need a Facebook account to use the Meta Quest VR from August

The news comes from a post on the Meta Quest website on July 7, and states that “in August 2022, we’ll begin rolling out a new Meta account structure that gives people more flexibility and control in VR”. The previous requirement of a Facebook account was obviously problematic for several reasons, with data concerns being one of the major worries.

The post explains: “Your Meta account lets you log into your VR devices and view and manage your purchased apps in one place—it’s not a social profile. Alongside Meta accounts, we’re also evolving your Oculus profile to a new Meta Horizon profile. This represents your social presence in VR and other surfaces where you use your Meta Horizon profile, like the web.”

This shift in model is being made to better support the metaverse, a new “an integrated network of 3D virtual worlds.”

It’s noted that “adding your Meta account to the same Accounts Center as your Facebook or Instagram accounts unlocks connected experiences across Meta technologies”, although this is entirely optional. While creating a Meta account will eventually be necessary, those who have been using an Oculus account can continue to do so until January 1, 2023. Additionally, a Meta account can be made using either a Facebook or Instagram account for those wanting to set up their accounts as quickly as possible.

The information stored on a Meta account includes the user’s name, email address, phone number, payment information, and date of birth for age verification, with users needing to be at least 13 to create a Meta account in most regions, or 14 in Spain and South Korea.

In other news, footage of a VR Halo project has been posted on Twitter, showcasing a VR version of Halo: Reach.