Facebook rolls out Messenger for Oculus Quest

[modsbox]

Just read this news, and as expected as it was it's still disappointing.

Latest Oculus Quest Update Fosters Developer Creativity With App Lab and Connects People With Messenger

Today we’re beginning to roll out the v25 software update to Oculus Quest headsets—including App Lab, a way for developers to safely distribute apps without the need for sideloading.

www.oculus.com

Particularly sad is how they tried to hide it as best they could alongside some 'better for developers!' news, and how they act like it's a great new feature only available to people who have logged into a Quest or Quest 2 with their Facebook account. Nevermind the fact that Facebook accounts are essentially required now to use their devices.

It's one thing to use Facebook for Facebook because it's free, exchanging troves of your data for the purpose. I quit using Facebook but can understand why people may think it's worth it.

This though? To pay $300+ for the privilege of them harvesting my data while interrupting me while I'm playing VR?

 

[shancake]

I'm not sure I understand the big deal (outside of the already problematic Facebook being mandatory).

Says you can sign out of Messengrr and not use it if you want? I'd personally love this feature and if I'm being forced to sign into Facebook, may as well utilise it.

 

[Z-Beat]

I'm already avoiding Messenger on my phone

 

[Cipher Peon]

Native FB Messenger support sounds rad and one of the benefits that I hope would come out of FB acquiring Oculus.

If I ever do get a Quest, this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sedael]

Why is this a negative. Either you use messenger and its nice or you don't use messenger and you can just completely ignore the feature.

 

[ghostcrew]

Makes sense. If they're gonna upgrade their messages function might as well use the one they already have that (basically) everyone already uses.

Wish my Switch had a messenger function half as good.

 

[Scraggs]

I don't understand how you can possibly be disappointed by this news? No one is forcing you to use it, but if they're going to mandate FB account use then why wouldn't they offer one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world inside it?

I say this as someone who wishes Oculus hadn't been bought by FB and begrudgingly upgraded to a Quest 2 despite disabling most parts of my FB account (as much as I can without losing my Oculus purchases anyway).

 

[modsbox]

Why is this a negative. Either you use messenger and its nice or you don't use messenger and you can just completely ignore the feature.

Click to shrink...

I don't understand how you can possibly be disappointed by this news? No one is forcing you to use it, but if they're going to mandate FB account use then why wouldn't they offer one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world inside it?

Click to shrink...

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the responses. I appreciate it. If you bought into the Quest ecosystem you're likely an avid Facebook user or at least ambivalent, so why wouldn't you see this a great feature?

I found it very disappointing because it just accentuates (to me) how orthogonal to what's great about VR everything that Facebook is doing to Oculus brand is. Aside from making it more affordable, which is great. Until you consider why it's so much more affordable, which is the data collection.

Requiring a FB login is unnecessary, but they did it with things like this in mind. This was a big red flag to me as at the moment I have quit using FB products. To have to reactivate my FB account that I don't want to use just to use a $300 device I just bought is a big negative. But I still thought about a Quest 2 because it's a compelling value.

This news though? It's just proof that Facebook doesn't want people like me to use their platform. They want engaged FB users that they can engage more while they are in VR.

Cool for the people that want that. But definitely a _huge negative_ for the people that don't. That's the negative.

I'm sure that for a time you will be able to log out of Messenger if you like. I'm also sure that the default behavior for new accounts and first-time-logins on a new Oculus device will be to enable it by default.

So that's why I found this so disappointing. It just put the nail in the coffin that people who don't care for FB's data practices can't ever buy any of Oculus' admittedly great hardware in good conscience. As someone who wants to see the market for VR grow rather than shrink, that makes me sad.

 

[panama chief]

buy Oculus.
Create dummy account you only use on Oculus.

or....or...........

dont buy it.

i dont see where they say you have to reactivate your currently closed account for you to use it. keep that shit closed.

 

[modsbox]

dont buy it.

Click to shrink...

That's the negative for me. It's an awesome value piece of hardware for $300. If it wasn't tied to a FB account I would already own one, and probably recommend it to others. As it is though, there's just no way I (or anyone else sensitive to FB data practices) could feel comfortable buying one.

I get it, I could make a blank new FB account and only use it for VR. Assuming they let people do that.

But yeah, I won't buy one. And will ignore all future Oculus products. I guess this one is on me. I just don't feel comfortable supporting FB as a company based upon their track record, and knowing that all of their products will be forced integrations onto Oculus hardware means I'm just permanently not going to be an Oculus user. Oh well. Hopefully their competitors continue to bring out great stuff and I can pick up one of them.

 

[Dakkon]

buy Oculus.
Create dummy account you only use on Oculus.

or....or...........

dont buy it.

i dont see where they say you have to reactivate your currently closed account for you to use it. keep that shit closed.

Click to shrink...

It's against Facebook's rules to use a pseudonym to identify yourself, and if they suspect you're a dummy/fake account they'll flag you and require verification that it's your real name to get unflagged.

If you're flagged you can't use your Quest.

Realistically, you can't make a dummy account.

So yeah, most VR people who don't wanna deal with FB just can't buy it, basically.

 

[Mindfreak191]

Ok question, don't know if anyone has the same case, but I deactivated my facebook account last March but I continued to use Messenger since it allows you to log in with an inactive fb account, for the Quest 2 does it have to be an active fb account or can it be a deactivated one? It's literally the only thing holding me back from getting a Quest 2 since I don't want to reactivate my social media anymore.

EDIT:

Nevermind, seems like you have to have an active account. Sucks, hope they update it.

 

[totofogo]

I'm confused. Sure I understand (and agree with) raising issue with requiring the FB Account, but this is separate from that. It's an optional feature.

They didn't remove existing chat features (which.... is Oculus chat, so you're still giving them your data lol), nor do they require this.

Choosing to communicate with your Facebook friends with Messenger on Oculus doesn't change your existing Oculus privacy settings. You can still message your Oculus friends using Oculus Chats with your existing Oculus username.

If your friends and family want to borrow your headset, you can sign out of Messenger at any time in your Messenger settings before sharing the headset with them. To sign back in, select your Messenger profile and re-enter your password.

Click to shrink...

 

[jediyoshi]

I'm confused. Sure I understand (and agree with) raising issue with requiring the FB Account, but this is separate from that. It's an optional feature.

Click to shrink...

I think it's a little short sighted to assume they won't continually push further FB integration into the main experience. They've already ripped the bandaid off when they started requiring a FB account so something like making this or other standard FB features front and center is simply a matter of time.

 

[finalflame]

I think it's a little short sighted to assume they won't continually push further FB integration into the main experience. They've already ripped the bandaid off when they started requiring a FB account so something like making this or other standard FB features front and center is simply a matter of time.

Click to shrink...

Why would you expect differently from literally Facebook? This dissonance that Oculus and Facebook are, or ever have been (post-acquisition), in any way separate is delusion. Oculus is Facebook. Facebook is oculus. Whether you're seeing a Facebook UI or Oculus UI is, and always has been, inconsequential.

They could've called it "Oculus Messages", but it's ultimately just another Facebook messaging platform, like, you guessed it: Messenger.

Anyway, stoked for Messenger in Oculus and future deep FB integrations.

 

[LavaBadger]

buy Oculus.
Create dummy account you only use on Oculus.

Click to shrink...

Way easier said than done. Not only is that a way to get you account locked and (and your purchases with it), but creating a fake Facebook account that's usable is actually a lot harder than it sounds, especially since you're frequently asked to associate identification with it.

 

[jediyoshi]

Why would you expect differently from literally Facebook? This dissonance that Oculus and Facebook are, or ever have been (post-acquisition), in any way separate is delusion. Oculus is Facebook. Facebook is oculus. Whether you're seeing a Facebook UI or Oculus UI is, and always has been, inconsequential.

Click to shrink...

An odd way to agree with me but I'll take it.

 

[totofogo]

I think it's a little short sighted to assume they won't continually push further FB integration into the main experience. They've already ripped the bandaid off when they started requiring a FB account so something like making this or other standard FB features front and center is simply a matter of time.

Click to shrink...

I didn't assume that, I just mean to say that the writing was already on the wall and I don't see what the big deal about *this* specific news piece is. From the moment they were acquired, the cards folded.

Why would you expect differently from literally Facebook? This dissonance that Oculus and Facebook are in any way separate is delusion. Oculus is Facebook. Facebook is oculus. Whether you're seeing a Facebook UI or Oculus UI is, and always has been, inconsequential.

Click to shrink...

Exactly. It doesn't matter if they "push FB in deeper" or use Oculus features, it's all FB.

 

[finalflame]

An odd way to agree with me but I'll take it.

Click to shrink...

Lol fair enough, I'm not even sure it was you I meant to reply to, but here we are and the outcome seems positive so let's roll with it.