Facebook says a “small number” of customers have been locked out of their new Oculus Quest 2 headsets, following a string of reports that buyers were unable to use the virtual reality headsets because their Facebook accounts were suspended. On Twitter, it urged users to contact Oculus if they had problems.
As UploadVR reported yesterday, users complained that they had been suspended for unclear reasons while they were trying to set up the Quest 2. One poster on the Oculus subreddit, for instance, described getting banned after creating a Facebook page for the first time and merging it with an existing Oculus account. “I logged into Facebook’s website to lock down my profile, as I had no intention of using the social media site more than was needed, and within minutes of merging accounts and changing profile settings my account was banned without any reason given or cause I can think of,” the user told The Verge in an email — rendering the Quest 2 a “new white paperweight.” Other people in the subreddit chimed in with their own experiences getting locked out.
We’re aware a small number of customers are having trouble using Quest 2 with their Facebook accounts. If you’re one of the few who’s having trouble getting set up, we’re ready and available to help. Just reach out and start a ticket: https://t.co/W0iGW16GqS
— Oculus Support (@OculusSupport) October 15, 2020
The Quest 2 is the first Oculus headset to require a Facebook login rather than a login with a separate Oculus account. Many existing customers used Oculus accounts on previous headsets, and setting up the Quest requires merging them — a process that, for some users, has gone far from seamlessly. Oculus promised in a statement to UploadVR that this wouldn’t permanently compromise access to purchased games. “Someone may temporarily experience an issue accessing content if they have trouble logging in to Quest 2 with their Facebook account, but they will be able to access their content once those login issues are resolved,” a spokesperson said.
New Oculus buyers who are already active Facebook users may see fewer problems, as they’re simply prompted to sign up via Facebook without needing to merge any accounts.
The potential for lockout was a known risk for the Oculus Quest 2, which was announced in September and shipped yesterday. Facebook requires people to use their real names on its service, and it suspends accounts that it believes are inauthentic. It may reinstate them if users send pictures of driver’s licenses or other proof of identity, but the process can be slow, impersonal, and hit-or-miss thanks to Facebook’s massive scale.
