The Oculus Quest 2 is a $479 VR headset that requires an active Facebook account to run. If your Facebook account is banned or suspended for any reason, your Oculus Quest 2 turns into little more than a fancy, useless paperweight. As Reddit users have reported, Facebook’s ban hammer is swinging mercilessly for some users, with personal account bans completely locking them out of the entire Oculus Quest system.
According to Reddit user weavster, this issue came about after they created a new Facebook account (with no prior use of the platform) and merged it with their Oculus account. For unclear reasons, this led to a delayed ban just 10 minutes after set-up, with Facebook responding to the user’s complaint with, “We have already reviewed this decision and it can’t be reversed.” Without an active Facebook account, the user was no longer able to use their Oculus Quest 2.
Facebook banning accounts for unclear reasons has become a major issue with the rollout of the device. Over on Reddit, users are currently organising to identify legitimate unfair bans and seek a solution from Facebook or Oculus. The majority of claims state Facebook banned them for creating a ‘fake account’ despite using their real-life personal details, but users in Japan are also reporting delays in their Facebook registration.
The Oculus team has now opened support for the issue, taking to Twitter to identify the problem:
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
Oculus Support describes only a ‘small’ number of customers as facing these issues, but the problem is prevalent enough to warrant multiple call out posts online. The requirement of using a Facebook account to access the system is also currently being investigated, with a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee labelling the practice as ‘anticompetitive’.
As of writing, Oculus appears to be aware of the situation and are working to address it. If you’re currently having trouble tying your Facebook account to your Oculus Quest 2 device, your best option is to link up with Oculus Support on Twitter to work out a solution.
Update 3:28 p.m. AEDT: Facebook provided the following statement to Gizmodo Australia in response to our query about the Oculus Quest 2 issues:
“We’re only seeing a very small number of Oculus users run into login issues, and if they do, our customer service team is available and committed to working with them directly. Many of these folks are turning to Twitter and Reddit for guidance, and our customer service team has been responding to them on those channels.
People should contact Oculus Support if they’re having issues and our team is available 24/7 to help: https://support.oculus.com/885981024820727/“