Oculus won't require a Facebook account (finally)

Source: Meta

It took a long time, but Meta has finally decided that you can decouple your Oculus VR headset from your Facebook account. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced it'll offer a new Meta account instead for new and existing users starting August. If you are still signing into your VR headset with an Oculus account, you'll have to ditch that before January 1, 2023.

Meta emphasizes that the Meta account isn't a social media profile per se. Instead, it "lets you log into your VR devices and view and manage your purchased apps in one place." There is still a social aspect integrated into this, though. Your Oculus profile will be replaced by a Meta Horizon profile that you'll set up. It comes with a username, photo and avatar. 

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Oculus Quest to get Slack, Dropbox as Progressive Web Apps

Facebook Reality Labs

This isn't the first time 2D apps have surfaced on the Oculus Quest virtual reality platform. But Facebook is planning to bring more third-party 2D apps to the VR platform via the Progressive Web App (PWA) framework. The aim is to give more work tools for its VR users. The plan starts with Facebook, Instagram, collaboration app Smartsheet, and email client Spike. But then Facebook will add access to Dropbox, Slack, and more in the future.

The PWA-based framework allows developers to bring their apps to VR without creating fully custom versions. But there is still a need to go through Oculus' developer channels to get their apps on the platform. As The Verge noted, this update marks a larger-scale rollout of non-VR apps inside the headset.

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Facebook's Oculus acquires 'Population: One' battle royale developer BigBox VR

Facebook is bringing more interesting content to its VR platform. The company's Oculus arm just acquired BigBox VR, the developer behind Population: One, a Fortnite-esque battle royale game. The developer will continue to support the game on its existing platforms, and it still plans to expand the title. So, those who play the game on a non-Oculus device can continue to do so.

Source: Engadget

Report claims Facebook signed an exclusive deal to bring ‘Splinter Cell’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed’ to Oculus VR

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Gaming is an arena Facebook hasn’t fully explored yet. It could probably be seen as a less problematic area for the company to focus on. And according to a new report from The Information, we might be seeing them make moves now. Facebook has reportedly signed an exclusive deal with Ubisoft to bring Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed to its Oculus virtual reality headsets. If true, this won’t be the first time Ubisoft has made VR games. The company has even released Oculus Rift launch exclusive titles like Eagle Flight and Star Trek: Bridge Crew. The developer has also released Assassin’s Creed-based VR escape rooms, but it hasn’t done it for home VR headsets yet. Oculus is known for having exclusive games on its platform, so this isn’t a particularly surprising move if it’s true.

One way Facebook is reportedly making its move in the gaming space is by naming former Oculus Content Vice President Jason Rubin as head of “special gaming initiatives.” And the company has its sights on acquiring studios and backing more exclusive games. But the report didn’t specify if Facebook had any studios or games in mind.

Source: The Verge