Friday, April 30th 2021
Oculus Will Sell You a Quest 2 Without Facebook Integration for an Extra $400
When Oculus launched the Oculus Quest 2 at a record low price of just 299 USD for the base 64 GB model and 399 USD for the 256 GB model many people suspected Oculus was losing money on the device and was subsiding the loss with the introduction of mandatory Facebook account linking. These suspicions seem to have been confirmed with the launch of the Oculus Quest 2 business version for 799 USD which features identical hardware specifications to the consumer 256 GB version available for 399 USD. This 400 USD premium allows the device to be managed via enterprise software instead of with a linked Facebook account and will stop Oculus from sending your data to Facebook. The Quest 2 business version must be purchased from Oculus Business and also requires a yearly subscription of 180 USD after the first year for added business services and support.
Source:
PC Gamer
70 Comments on Oculus Will Sell You a Quest 2 Without Facebook Integration for an Extra $400
The man is sick and has been since he stole the social media idea from his buddies. It looks like a rat, talks like a rat and spreads disease like a rat.
Did you forget Cambridge Analytica? And it is still a black box.
Your choice not to support Oculus because you will not give money to Facebook is most definitely acceptable to me, I don't hate on it at all. I personally refuse to get an account or a loan from Chase bank, well, just because I hate Chase bank, for reasons. So I understand and respect where you're coming from. But....What myself and a couple of others here are saying is that the large majority of commenters describe the hate towards the act of data harvesting in general, they are not just focusing on data harvesting by Facebook. And the second you challenge their hard line stance against "privacy invasion" with any facts that would actually inconvenience them, or take away a service they enjoy using that is also using their personal information, they deflect or just do not address the topic. Their double standards and hypocritical opinions become difficult to take seriously.
I mean, in the face of known phone data logging, and the years of known mass gov. surveillance of phones, how many of these hard liners stood by their convictions and got rid of their cell phones?? The mere suggestion of ditching their pocket dopamine dispenser is unfathomable to them at any cost...But the thought of a video game peripheral possibly showing them an ad is appalling? Strangely, you don't go to comment sections of the new iPhone/Android phone articles and repeatedly see user outrage over the same (or worse) data harvesting, and required Apple/Google accounts, etc.
Here's just two of the first hits on Google for reference, many more available-
www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/14/government-planes-mimic-cellphone-towers-to-collect-user-data-report
www.wsj.com/articles/americans-cellphones-targeted-in-secret-u-s-spy-program-1415917533 can we not say the same thing about--
I think most of the vitriol here comes from Facebook forcing you to use an account with them to use the Oculus. First of all, why do I need to log into an account to use it in the first place?
I think most of the vitriol here comes from Microsoft forcing you to use an account with them to use the Xbox. First of all, why do I need to log into an account to use it in the first place?
I think most of the vitriol here comes from Sony forcing you to use an account with them to use the Playstaion. First of all, why do I need to log into an account to use it in the first place?
I think most of the vitriol here comes from Valve forcing you to use an account with them to use Steam. First of all, why do I need to log into an account to use it in the first place?
An Xbox requires a Microsoft account for initial setup, and then can be played offline after. Same with Playstation. Same with Oculus. It is exactly the same thing. It has been stated it over and over in multiple posts here and in the past, you do not log into Facebook to use an Oculus other than initial setup. You do not have to log in or even be connected online to use an Oculus after set up. You do log in to buy content, exactly like you do on the other game consoles. This content can then be used off line.
Yep no FB/ Twits-R-Us/ Instafame/ google search either it's just not going to happen :laugh:
But really I don't see anything related to FB when I log in to my Oculus HMD. It has a social tab but it's really bare bones. It's only Oculus and your apps. Trust me I will jump to any cheaper VR AIO HMD if they are any cheaper and offer as much. I would pay a little more if I like it but not a lot. It's hard to see now but I believe soon we will be buy AR glasses with cell service over buying phones once they get small enough, but who knows how long that will be. I think not soon enough. haha
EDIT: I bought an HTC Vive which everyone loved and it required that I needed to create an HTC account if I used their crappy store or I would need a Steam Account to use SteamVR to use with my Vive. Nobody said a word. Not dreaming.. I don't see how anyone can single FB out for what everyone else is doing. I can tell someone that I need printer paper and a few minutes later Amazon is suggesting different kinds of printer paper. I never owned the DK2. I have the DK1 then Vive, but the DK2 looked great. I think it's a simple as what hat said and if they need it then it's ok. I have a lot of friends using Quest 2 and I don't know any one that has been ban. The issue you are referring to was an old system in place that auto ban users when they first turned on FB login. Those user have been unban and that system is no longer in place.
EDIT: If I missed anyone sorry. I'll try and read every comment later.
Feel free to agree, diagree or be somewhere inbetween but I will say it like this on my part:
Related to Oculus, FB and other things alot of folks just don't seem to understand what Facebook really is, as in a data harvesting engine that's designed for that very purpose.
The Oculus itself just being one way data harvesting is done by FB.
Speaking of FB - Of course the gov got interested early on with the potential it had for surveilence when first introduced - Why dig for info when we know they would willingly give it themselves?
The trick was in figuring out how to get them to do it - And then along came FB.
Gee - How convenient.
From people posting personal stuff, photos of themselves and such to where they are, check-in's and you have a platform that makes it so easy to garner alot of info....Just brilliant, and why Zuckelberg has seemed to be "In Bed" with the Fed the way he is.
I mean he's the owner of what's probrably THE tool used for basic, mass surveilence (Data Base) they have going right now.
The way we've been socially conditioned to live and be in general causes us to "Accept" this survelience as the norm of society and the world in general.
Now - Before any of you start screaming "Tin Hat" or "Conspiracy Theory", do remember what happened nearly 20 years ago up in NYC involving a pair of buildings.
It was after that everything changed.
That was a huge part of the impedus for them to start surveilence on a massive scale (Patriot Act and such related to it) and if anyone has been paying attention it was only after that this kind of stuff started being intergrated into..... Almost everything we have it seems.
Vehicles that reach out and request permission to start everytime you turn the key (Onstar), your fridge having web access, the fact your smart phone makes a suggestion based on a part of your conversation...
Don't deny it, nearly all of us have experienced that at some point. :ohwell:
Alexa, Siri and all the more convenient stuff like smart homes with remote viewing "Door Bells" (Cameras), wirelessly controlled door locks, the list goes on and on, and on, and on, and on.....
All that kind of shit.
Before 9/11 most of this would have been wildly rejected, very little doubt about it.
So...
There is your basic reason for the social conditioning that's taken place since that time, why we have all this "Interconnectivity" around that's become the daily life reality we have.
While you can't argue the fact our world is changing, it's the nature of these changes that's the sticking point of every arguement either for or against it.
It's a new world we live in since 9/11 occured and as for consent, the choice has already been made for you, like it or not.
All we can really hope for is we don't get stuck in a weird Oculus-induced, Matrix style VR reality somewhere in the mid-80's and we're all incarcerated in FB jail together. :D
As for saving $$, I'll just go ahead and save $799 by not buying at all.
it's a good thing breaking up big tech seems to be bi-partisan. :rockout:
If not for that we'd still have some of it around at least by now but probrably not as it is today.
I will leave it at that ...
@Everyone - Just want to say this is why I really enjoy our community. We can discuss something and listen to both sides. I think we all made great points. :toast:
They are now pioneering how to tie a forced login to bought hardware that doesnt need it in the slightest. Why? To connect social media data to sensor data and get even deeper into your head with targeted ads and manipulative policies. Not a member yet? NP, they just buy the user groups like they did with whatsapp.
It ads nothing of value to our lives and is unnecessary.