It's been a couple of weeks since the Oculus Quest 2 was launched, but Halloween rolled around before news of a way around Facebook's login requirement reached us.
VR technology continues to grow and adapt and is reaching levels of immersion that one could only dream of just 10 years ago. So, when news of a new, more powerful VR headset was announced, many people were excited by the possibilities. However, that announcement came with the catch that, if you ever deleted your Facebook account, your $300 piece of equipment would become useless.
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The ethical hacker activist group Xtended Reality Safety Initiative has been working to bring legislation to the United States government that would allow you to take your technology, (like the Oculus Quest 2) and modify it, repair it, or otherwise do what you want with it—what they call the "right to repair."
The group announced that researchers associated with them have gained what is called "root access" that has allowed them to bypass Facebook's login requirement—which would, in their minds, fall under the "right to repair." Other researchers were able to verify this method of jailbreaking the Oculus Quest 2, meaning that it is 100% possible to keep your gaming separate from Facebook. Obviously, that's not something that Facebook wants you to do, so the group is working to ensure that the people who made the discovery are protected from litigation.
One can assume that the information will be released, but given Xtended Reality's situation, it may not behoove them to allow a public release of the information until the right to modify the things that you buy has been codified into law. Without legal protection, it is possible that Facebook will consider modification of its equipment to be illegal and will seek action against anyone who engages in the activity.
The best way to avoid trouble is to deal with Facebook's requirements and simply keep your account active while you enjoy your games. Otherwise, PlayStation will be keeping its virtual reality division active for the foreseeable future, so you can keep your gaming separated from the social media giant's influence and demands. Whichever way you ultimately choose to go, you can be sure that the technology's progress will only move forward.