Of the various criticisms leveled at Oculus VR headsets, one is recurring: to be able to use them you need to have a Facebook account. Not that it was a problem, given that three billion people in the world have it, but apparently there are many who want to keep the two experiences separate: on the one hand the social network, on the other the metaverse. Now Zuckerberg’s company tries to meet this need, and announces the introduction of new Meta accounts from next August, especially for Meta VR devices.
Zuckerberg leaves Facebook behind: Meta, the metaverse platform, is born
by Bruno Ruffilli
How does it work
Meta account will allow you to access VR devices and view and manage purchased apps in one place, but it is not a social profile. Meta is transforming users’ Oculus profiles into Meta Horizon profiles, the new social profiles through which they can interact in virtual reality and in other spaces where they can be used, such as on the web. You can also choose how others see you, customizing information such as name and avatar.
By adding your Meta account to the same Accounts Center as your Facebook or Instagram accounts, it will be possible to unlock connected experiences between the various Meta platforms, for example finding your Instagram followers in virtual reality and playing with them, or chatting with Facebook friends on Messenger. Anyone who does not want to use their Facebook and / or Instagram accounts in VR can still decide not to.
Starting from August 2022, for newcomers to Meta virtual reality and for those who have already merged their Oculus account with the Facebook one, it will be necessary to create a Meta account and a corresponding Meta Horizon profile. If you have already logged in to the Oculus device, however, it will be possible to keep it until January 1, 2023; subsequently, to continue using the viewer, you will need the Meta account and the Meta Horizon profile.
These new features will be extended in the future, so that only one account can be used to access other Meta devices as well.
No more friends
Also in August, Meta will change the current model of the “Friends”, adopting the new structure of “Follower”, Similar to that of Instagram. With this update you will be able to share with your followers the status and updates on your activities, such as the apps you own or wins and scores in games. If you already have a viewer, your friends will automatically become followers, but you can always choose not to follow anyone or remove followers.
Future
Zuckerberg’s promise: “Virtual reality headsets as thin as sunglasses”
by Bruno Ruffilli
Profile Meta Horizon
Once a Meta account has been created, the user will be prompted to create a Meta Horizon profile, which will replace the previous Oculus profile. The Meta Horizon profile will be the social profile valid for virtual reality, and can also be used on the web. Like any social profile, the Meta Horizon profile can also be customized: a user name, the profile photo that will be viewed by other users, the avatar and more will be chosen. You will be able to create a Meta Horizon profile for each Meta account, and if you choose to add your accounts to the same Accounts Center as your Meta account, you will be able to synchronize the information of the different profiles.
Privacy
With this update will come a menu with three privacy options that will help you choose the most suitable settings: Open to all, Friends and family, and Just me. It will also be possible to set the Meta Horizon profile as private, just like on Instagram: the follow requests will, in this case, be approved one by one. Once this option is chosen, the followers section will only be visible to the followers themselves, while non-followers will be able to see their profile picture, avatar, username and display name, the number of followers and the number of people followed. . Even with a closed profile, users will always be visible and therefore it will be possible to receive follow requests.
Anyone between 13 and 17 will automatically find Meta Horizon set as private.
If you are already using Meta VR devices, the purchased apps will be available after the Meta account is created, and you will be able to return to play immediately. If the App Sharing feature is enabled, it will also be possible to share apps between multiple Meta accounts on the same device.
It will be possible to create multiple accounts and personal data will not be public. The information saved in the Meta account – explains the company – will include the name, e-mail address, telephone number, payment information and date of birth of the user, so that it is possible to verify the user’s age: in fact, you will need to be at least 13 years old to create the account: but also this time it is not clear who guarantees that the information provided is truthful.