As you know, the Meta Quest (formerly Oculus Quest) virtual reality headsets require mandatory authorization on Facebook and if your account is banned, you will lose the ability to use the VR headset with it. It’s not very convenient, to say the least, even if you don’t take into account the threat of a possible ban. What if you don’t want to open a Facebook account for your own reasons? Except to look for an alternative headset.

Fortunately, Meta finally came to its senses and decided to abandon Facebook authentication in favor of a new platform. Yesterday this was reported by Mark Zuckerberg, announcing a new system of Meta-accounts and Horizon profiles, which will be used for the Meta Quest VR headsets starting from August this year.

These accounts will have nothing to do with Facebook accounts and will not act as a new social platform. According to Zuckerberg, they will allow you to log into the device, buy applications and manage installed software.

However, the Horizon profile, which must also be created at the same time as the Meta account, is another matter; it will have your nickname, avatar, etc., and it looks like it will be needed for the Meta universe in the future. Three privacy levels will be available for the Horizon profile: “open to everyone”, “friends and family” or “solo”. Also, if desired, users will be able to link a new account with Facebook or Instagram — for example, to get lists of friends on these platforms.

All new Meta headsets will require Meta accounts, and owners of current and older models will be able to use Facebook accounts until the end of the year. Starting January 1, 2023, they’ll also need to create new accounts.