Quest VR glasses back on sale in Germany – but watchdog has eye on Meta - The Register

Germany's Federal Cartel Office is claiming a triumph aft Meta unhooked the VR glasses formerly known arsenic Oculus from a Facebook login.

Users tin present motion into a abstracted "Meta" relationship aft the archetypal request to link the VR cogwheel to a Facebook login prompted an authoritative contention ailment against the WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram genitor with the German regulator.

The contention watchdog said the determination meant that Meta Quest glasses (and the newer Quest Pro devices) could present beryllium sold successful Germany. The Bundeskartellamt said users needed to beryllium capable to determine freely and without undue power whether oregon not they wanted to usage the VR goggles separately oregon link them to different meta-services.

Andreas Mundt, president of the contention watchdog, noted (translated from German): "Thanks to the integer ecosystem created by Meta with a precise ample fig of users, the institution is the cardinal subordinate successful the tract of societal media. Meta besides has a important presumption successful the increasing VR market. If lone Facebook oregon Instagram members could usage the VR glasses, this could severely hamper contention successful some areas."

Mundt added that portion the watchdog was pleased that Meta signed up to an "amicable solution" by introducing the Meta account, "the process is not yet complete."

"While we invited this development, we volition not terminate the proceeding today."

He said that the question of however that information would beryllium processed successful transportation to Meta's different "various services" was inactive unresolved. "Until this has been clarified," helium said, for those users who take to usage a abstracted Meta relationship alternatively than a Facebook login, Meta indispensable support information generated by the Meta Quest glasses abstracted from the accusation being pulled successful from different Meta services.

This includes those toiling distant successful "virtual gathering space" Horizon Workrooms utilizing their Quest VR goggles (although the authoritative Oculus for Business headset has been discontinued).

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The caller Meta relationship has been disposable since August for users of Meta Quest glasses, but if you inactive person an Oculus account, you won't beryllium capable to motion successful with it aft New Year's Eve 2022.

Users tin motion up for a Meta relationship utilizing an email address, but volition person to supply a sanction and birthday. According to Meta astatine the clip of publication, the default enactment for those who skip selecting "privacy options" is to link those users to "Friends and Family." Users tin besides alteration those settings to "Open to Everyone" oregon "Solo" astatine a aboriginal time.

Meta bought California based startup Oculus VR for $2 cardinal successful 2014 and the then-Facebook decided to dicth the Oculus-specific relationship strategy and usage lone FB accounts successful October 2020. The company's $10 cardinal investment into its Metaverse-pushing Reality Labs radical has been panned by investors unconvinced by its statement arsenic "an embodied net wherever radical person immersive experiences beyond two-dimensional screens."

We've asked Meta for comment. ®