If you’ve linked your Facebook and Oculus accounts, or created a new VR account by logging in via Facebook—which is what I’ve just done—you’ll get a warning when attempting to deactivate or delete your Facebook account. Deactivating your account does not need to be permanent, Facebook say, but it will keep you from accessing your Oculus products and account. “Your profile will be disabled and your name and photos will be removed from most things you’ve shared. You will also not be able to access Oculus Products or your Oculus information. You’ll be able to continue using Messenger,” reads the warning on the deactivation page. What’s worse is the warning about deleting your account. I’ve been cavalier in the past about digital ownership of my own games and wow that sure does put a fine point on the matter. According to UploadVR, Facebook have confirmed to them that “if you’re an owner of the original Quest, Rift or Rift S, aren’t getting another Oculus headset and have held out from linking your accounts for this long—you could still delete your unlinked Facebook account for now and your Oculus store purchases would be unaffected.” Facebook adds that they will keep those users updated “as we get closer to ending support for Oculus accounts in 2023.” There’s the obvious issue of wanting to remove yourself from Facebook’s social media platform without losing access to products you’ve bought, but there are bound to be even worse edge cases. I’m reminded of the Fallout 76 players whose Facebook accounts were banned earlier this month when their Free States Militia roleplaying group was mistakenly believed to be an actual violent militia. Then there’s the Oculus Quest 2 users who’ve gotten locked out of their headsets in several scenarios. It seems like even if you don’t make the conscious choice to delete your Facebook account, having your Oculus headset require one could still cause some serious issues. It’s a shame, since Oculus’s headsets are sitting at the top of Katharine’s summary of the best VR headsets and her Oculus Quest 2 review says “there’s no denying that the Quest 2 sets a high bar for entry-level VR, and the option to pick and choose between wireless and tethered PC VR gives you a lot more for your money than rival headsets”.
