If you have an Oculus virtual reality headset, you will need to sign up for a Facebook account.

Previously, you could set up an Oculus account to access VR software platforms like the Oculus Rift S, but starting in October you will need to set up your account through Facebook Existing non Facebook-linked Oculus account holders can continue to use it until January 1, 2023, after which official support will end.

"If you choose not to integrate your account at that time, you can continue to use the device, but it will require a Facebook account for full functionality. We expect that some games and apps will no longer work, but we will take steps to ensure that you can continue to use purchased content," the Oculus blog explains.

"This could be due to the inclusion of features that require a Facebook account or because the developer has chosen to end support for purchased apps and games. All future unreleased Oculus devices will require a Facebook account, even if you already have an Oculus account."

Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014, apparently with the goal of building more social VR content, but it has done so in a piecemeal fashion. However, the move to integrate Oculus and Facebook accounts appears to be a way to more closely tie the Oculus platform to the world's largest social network.

Facebook claims that integrating Oculus and Facebook accounts will provide a simple way for users to log into the VR platform using a single account. And they noted that the "vast majority" of users log into Oculus with their Facebook accounts, providing access to chats, parties, events, etc.

To some, however, this may seem like a privacy-invading move. Some may not want to be part of the social network, despite Facebook's more than one billion users; misuse of Facebook's data, as seen in the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, and Facebook's failure to keep some data private. Facebook's blunders have caused some people to turn their backs on the social network.

Reaction to Oculus' blog post announcing the account integration was not particularly positive, with one user Derek Sienk noting that it was "time to sell my Oculus Rift S," and Ralphy Diaz saying: one user Derek Sienk said, "It's time to sell my Oculus Rift S," and Ralphy Diaz said, "For me, it won't be. All of these users commented using their Facebook accounts, but they were not happy with the idea of integrating their accounts.

Facebook said there will be a new "VR-specific" section that people can use to keep their VR activity private and prevent their "Oculus friends" from finding them on Facebook. The social network then detailed that user information related to VR activities will be used to sell advertising and provide personalized content, just as it does on the main social network. Therefore, if you are already using Facebook, you will not be subjected to any new invasion of privacy or display of extraneous advertising.

By linking Oculus and Facebook accounts, Facebook appears to be attempting to integrate the management of the various platforms. However, it would somewhat force users of other platforms into the main Facebook ecosystem.

Time will tell if this will discourage people from getting an Oculus headset, especially when the Oculus Quest 2 is released. But Facebook haters need not despair, as there are other great VR systems to choose from on our Best VR Headsets list.