The decision by the social networking giant to make it mandatory for users of its Oculus Quest virtual reality (VR) headset to have a Facebook account has put parents in a bind.
Parents have slammed Facebook for the change in rules as kids who play the Oculus VR games will soon need to have a Facebook account, reports USA Today.
Facebook said the new change becomes effective in October, but people can continue using their Oculus accounts until January 1, 2023.
“Giving people a single way to log into Oculus – using their Facebook account and password – will make it easier to find, connect, and play with friends in VR,” the company said.
“It really touched a nerve, and I feel very resentful towards Facebook,” Stacey Luchs, whose 13-year-old son has been asking for Oculus for years, was quoted as saying.
“My son is not ready for social media, because of what it brings,” she added.
Kids and young adults are the target audience for Oculus games and Facebook’s rules put a minimum age of 13 to qualify for an account.
One option for parents is to create a new account, under their name, which they can share with their kids.
“For example you might be Monique Smith on Facebook, but WarriorMama365 in VR,” Facebook said on its FAQ page.
The company this week launched Oculus Quest 2, its next generation of all-in-one virtual reality headset that starts at $299.
Weighing less than the original Quest, it comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform processor and 6GB memory.
The headset offers newly redesigned controllers for better ergonomics and longer battery life, the social network said during its virtual ‘Facebook Connect’ conference.
