Oculus will sell you a Quest 2 headset that doesn't require Facebook for an extra $500

[Armenius]

In confirming that the unreal price of the Quest 2 headset is being subsidized by the ability to collect and sell your data, Oculus will start selling the attractive headset to users not wanting to sell their souls to Facebook for an extra $500. This brings the $300 base price of the headset up to $800, which sounds a bit more realistic for the hardware you get. The catch is that this is sold to businesses and comes with another $180 annual fee for support.

But there's no getting away from that price. The $299 tag is just enough to make us treat the headset with respect, while also making it affordable enough for most to pull the trigger and see what this VR fuss is all about. It's sold pretty well too, showing that price is definitely a factor in adopting new standards—hardly a shocking revelation.

The thing is, that price seems too good to be true, with no other manufacturer's VR headset close to the specs list of the Quest 2—in either tethered or standalone form—hitting the same low, low price. That money gets you a robust virtual reality headset with 6GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 CPU, 64GB of storage, 1832x1920 per eye display and a pair of controllers.

There is another version of the Quest 2 that isn't as discounted as the consumer version, and that's the one aimed at businesses. The actual hardware is identical, but the difference is you don't need to login in with a Facebook account in order to use it.
The price for this model? $799. There's also an annual fee of $180 that kicks in a year after purchase, which covers Oculus' business services and support, but that just muddies the waters a little.

The point being, the Quest 2 for business, the headset from which Facebook can't access your data directly, costs $500 more. So that's looking essentially like the value the social media giant attributes to your data, which either seems like a lot or barely anything at all, depending on your stance.​

https://www.pcgamer.com/oculus-will...-doesnt-need-facebook-for-an-extra-dollar500/

 

[sharknice]

They're making a lot of wrong assumptions without any research on what the hardware actually costs. This is a very lazy clickbait article. If you think data from a single person playing games is worth $500 you're a fucking idiot.

People have done actual estimations of the hardware costs when it was new and it's basically the same situation as any Playstation or Xbox console. They hardware cost is very close to the price they're selling it for. So they're most likely selling at a slight loss when it's new and over time actually make money on each one sold.

They're making the money in games sold through the Oculus store and accessories the same way Sony and Microsoft make money on their consoles. The value in the data is to try to sell you more Quest stuff by recommending similar games, and maybe show you more relevant ads on facebook if you actually go there.

 

[CVNet1]

Speculation:
The extra cost isn't related to the product being subsidized by selling your information through Facebook's network.
The extra cost is the additional code layer they installed to make the hardware unit appear to no longer send all your data to Facebook network while it still sends all your data to Facebook network.

That way, you pay for them giving you an illusion of privacy and self data control. They sell your data anyway.

For related example, see below:

 

[bonehead123]

F*c*K facepook.....

They can have my data when they find a way to pry it from my cold, dead brain....

Which I estimate will be in about 29.847 years from now, at which point I won't really give a fuck anyhow, hehehe

 

[DukenukemX]

Maybe there's a way to flash the regular $300 model to the $800 business model?

 

[Krenum]

Pfft. VR Titties ain't worth that much.

 

[Krazy925]

Maybe there's a way to flash the regular $300 model to the $800 business model?

this is the only way I’d jump into anything oculus.

 

[sleepeeg3]

[H]ard pass on the $300 retinal scanner.

 

[TheOne&OnlyZeke]

Maybe there's a way to flash the regular $300 model to the $800 business model?

It will happen for sure.
But yea, I'd never buy anything linked to FB.
Only reason i use FB now is for Marketplace. Otherwise I'd be gone.
I haven't posted anything on FB in years

 

[reaper12]

They're making a lot of wrong assumptions without any research on what the hardware actually costs. This is a very lazy clickbait article. If you think data from a single person playing games is worth $500 you're a fucking idiot.

People have done actual estimations of the hardware costs when it was new and it's basically the same situation as any Playstation or Xbox console. They hardware cost is very close to the price they're selling it for. So they're most likely selling at a slight loss when it's new and over time actually make money on each one sold.

They're making the money in games sold through the Oculus store and accessories the same way Sony and Microsoft make money on their consoles. The value in the data is to try to sell you more Quest stuff by recommending similar games, and maybe show you more relevant ads on facebook if you actually go there.

Exactly, it's a just clickbait article. Just trying to get people riled up. Back in 2016, a few months after HTC launched the Vive, they released the business edition. How much did it cost? $500 more than the consumer version with a $299/$199(enterprise/SME) support fee after the first year. Where was all the fake outrage back then?

 

[auntjemima]

It will happen for sure.
But yea, I'd never buy anything linked to FB.
Only reason i use FB now is for Marketplace. Otherwise I'd be gone.
I haven't posted anything on FB in years

Exactly. That marketplace is what is keeping FB alive. It's all old people on there sharing their stupid shit anyway, young kids want nothing to do with it

 

[reaper12]

Maybe there's a way to flash the regular $300 model to the $800 business model?

Why? It would be useless, you can't download apps/games from the Oculus store or steam onto it.

 

[TheOne&OnlyZeke]

Why? It would be useless, you can't download apps/games from the Oculus store or steam onto it.

if they find a way of flashing it, I guarantee you they will find a way of sideloading stuff onto it

 

[CVNet1]

I would expect there is some kind of electronic fuse that bricks the device when a user attempts to flash / root The device.

The same thing that Amazon did with their fire tv device where people figured out how to root it on adv early firmware and Amazon pushed a new firmware down before the method got shard widely. Their firmware update enabled the electronic fuse and trying to rollback the firmware or rooting the device bricked it permanently.

 

[Krazy925]

if they find a way of flashing it, I guarantee you they will find a way of sideloading stuff onto it

I mean revive gives me hope anything is possible. I’m sure oculus hates that program.

 

[sleepeeg3]

Exactly, it's a just clickbait article. Just trying to get people riled up. Back in 2016, a few months after HTC launched the Vive, they released the business edition. How much did it cost? $500 more than the consumer version with a $299/$199(enterprise/SME) support fee after the first year. Where was all the fake outrage back then?

I don't care if Taiwan is collecting my data.
I do care if Facebook is data mining it and selling it to everyone else.
Hence outrage.

 

[RanceJustice]

Maybe there's a way to flash the regular $300 model to the $800 business model?

This is probably the way. I imagine this could be more difficult if you were trying to use it stand-alone. Flashing or running a jailbroken/rooted style application on the thing itself is probably possible, but more difficult. However, thankfully they also allow the Quest 2 to be connected to a PC (in their mind, so you can use it with PC games from the Oculus store that were originally intended for the Rift series) with the Oculus Link cable. You can use this to use it as a PC gaming headset and load up SteamVR instead, but I'm not sure how much nonsense is required by default to configure this either on your PC (ie running some sort of FB/oculus program) or the onboard SoC will either not let you do this without configuration / a Facebook account or even if not, it will be just sending info back to Oculus no matter what.

I'd be very interested to see how much configuration, hardware updating and other things can be handled without need of a Facebook / Oculus account. In the past we saw that Oculus Store apps could, with a workaround be played / cracked to launch from SteamVR instead and I'm hoping the Quest 2 gives the same opportunity. Its also worth noting that this isn't just a "pay cash instead of data" situation, as the business variant doesn't allow users to access the normal game store, has a business-level support contract involved, among other things. Essentially, the consumer Oculus Quest 2 is console sold cheaply in the hopes it can make it up on software and data, with lock in to its ecosystem. While I can see that for the hardware alone the Quest 2 is likely a good buy and accessible, without ways to totally detach from Facebook / Oculus and alternative avenues to access content, supporting something not just proprietary but also linked to such a horrible company as Facebook is not desirable. Be it the upcoming DecaGear or the often vastly preferable vs other items on the market Valve Index (in terms of both openness and support for a company interested in pushing the envelope in ethical manners, as well as high end though expensive hardware) are usually better buys. I do admit I would like to see mods for the Valve Index enabling full on high fidelity inside-out tracking (either alongside or in lieu of using lighthouse sensors), powered / wireless usage, the ability to connect data-wise to an Android phone or device, and other mods - it was designed to be extensible after all.

Ultimately the Quest 2 is a console designed to provide cheap enough and good enough quality to be accessible, but its proprietary nature and Facebook connections make purchase less desirable.

 

[nilepez]

I don't own one, but I don't see the big deal. If you don't do facebook, create a throwaway email address. Then create a throwaway facebook account. Problem solved. Whatever info they have isn't any more useful than the credit card you gave them to buy crap on their store.

 

[sharknice]

I don't own one, but I don't see the big deal. If you don't do facebook, create a throwaway email address. Then create a throwaway facebook account. Problem solved. Whatever info they have isn't any more useful than the credit card you gave them to buy crap on their store.

People that have done that had their facebook accounts banned, which means they lost all their purchases.

I just use my legit facebook account for my quest and I never go on facebook. I don't like facebook as a company, but I really don't see what the big deal is. Who cares if they know what games you play. The only other information they can get is if you use the quest's built in web browser. So just don't do that.
It's like freaking out about making an account for Steam, or making an account when you buy an Xbox or Playstation. OMG they know what games you bought from them and when you play them. Who cares

You can also just use it as a PCVR headset and play VR hentai waifu tentacle simulator they aren't going to know any details other than you've connected it to your PC.

 

[tangoseal]

Quest 2 is a total mask of shit anyways. It has awful head strap, reduculous low storage, etc.. . I kept my cv1 for 2 reasons, its better, and it has no FB acct required or at least I dont need one.

 

[t1337duder]

I just use my legit facebook account for my quest and I never go on facebook. I don't like facebook as a company, but I really don't see what the big deal is.

It's probably those escapism goggles on your head. It's a microcosm of an issue that is representative of a bigger issue. What's more important to you? Supporting a business that is effectively undermining your society, or watching VR porn? Eh...on second thought, don't answer that.

 

[reaper12]

Quest 2 is a total mask of shit anyways. It has awful head strap, reduculous low storage, etc.. . I kept my cv1 for 2 reasons, its better, and it has no FB acct required or at least I dont need one.

Whatever you might think of Facebook as a company. The Quest 2 is an amazing piece of kit. There are Fixes for the comfort. The low storage? Not really a problem. unless you install a load of games and if you do, buy the 256GB one. And you don't need the storage if you are mainly playing PCVR games. If you think the Civ 1 is better, then you are looking at it through seriously rose tinted glasses. And while the Civ 1 doesn't have a Facebook account requirement yet, it's still a Facebook Headset. You are basically on the Facebook platform.

 

[Nenu]

Lol, I bought an Oculus Rift that didnt require Facebook, look how that turned out!
Screw them, they deserve no business.

Also note, if you get banned from Facebook for any reason, even if unjustified, you lose all the software you bought in their store with no way to get it back.

edit
when you try and explain your situation they will take forever to reply and say thank you for bearing with is while we were crap, and your account will still be banned.
Not happened to me because I dont have an account but have seen others fall foul.
This one recently, check his earlier posts for more info:
https://hardforum.com/threads/man-s...h-25-000-in-purchases.2009947/post-1045003031

 

[nilepez]

People that have done that had their facebook accounts banned, which means they lost all their purchases.

I just use my legit facebook account for my quest and I never go on facebook. I don't like facebook as a company, but I really don't see what the big deal is. Who cares if they know what games you play. The only other information they can get is if you use the quest's built in web browser. So just don't do that.
It's like freaking out about making an account for Steam, or making an account when you buy an Xbox or Playstation. OMG they know what games you bought from them and when you play them. Who cares

You can also just use it as a PCVR headset and play VR hentai waifu tentacle simulator they aren't going to know any details other than you've connected it to your PC.

I"m surprised, because I've had a fake FB account and they don't seem to care, though TBC I don't have an Occulus..it's just an account I created to see how visible things are on my account (which these days can mostly be deterimined from within your account).

 

[Youn]

"Oculus" re-arranged spells "C U, Soul..."

 

[sfsuphysics]

Also note, if you get banned from Facebook for any reason, even if unjustified, you lose all the software you bought in their store with no way to get it back.

Depends on the results from that Apple lawsuit, that definitely will set a prescient as to whether or not you are entitled to the software you pay for.

 

[Lumpus]

I only use FB now to login to a ftp webgame. Period.

 

[Manny Calavera]

It will happen for sure.
But yea, I'd never buy anything linked to FB.
Only reason i use FB now is for Marketplace. Otherwise I'd be gone.
I haven't posted anything on FB in years

Same here, otherwise its a waste of time,to put it very mildly. FB,Twatter,etc,are pure Orwellian social engineering.