Oculus announced today a few significant changes that will alter how users access their accounts in the future. After January 1, 2023, the Facebook-owned virtual reality firm will shut down support for all Oculus accounts.
In preparation for that change, Oculus is requiring all first-time users of its devices to log in with a Facebook account beginning in October. If you already have an existing Oculus account, you will have the option to merge it with your Facebook account, although you can opt out until January 1, 2023. After that date, you can still choose not to merge your accounts, but you won"t be able to use the full functionality of your VR device. However, you will need a Facebook account to use future Oculus devices, even if you have an existing Oculus account.
Oculus said in a blog post that the upcoming change is meant to give people "a single way to log in to Oculus" and integrate Facebook"s features into the VR platform. That said, users who sign in using their Facebook account will retain their existing VR profile and control what information about their Oculus activity will be shared on their Facebook timeline. Additionally, Oculus will adopt Facebook"s community standards and a new additional VR-centered policy.
Oculus is also working on a way to let you continue using your purchased content even after support for your Oculus account is ended. However, some games and apps are expected to stop working due to features that need a Facebook account to function. In the future, the company also plans to allow multiple users to log in to the same device using their own Facebook accounts.