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Facebook Oculus Quest Is Being Rebranded as Meta Quest

lukilladog

Member
This is a super dumb take, at least with regard to Facebook.

Whether you believe in VR's long term success or not, this is obviously Facebook quadrupling down on VR, not abandoning it. They are making VR their "main" thing, and social media the "subsidiary" thing. They are literally rebranding the whole company around VR.

I´m talking about VR gaming, you just don´t kill profitable brands. Talking about dumb takes lol.
 

Racer!

Member
You may be correct. But if you look at the progress since Facebook aquired oculus seven years ago they have made rather slow progress and in some areas they are actually going backwards.
I think the tech has to be brought back to the drawing board because VR will never be big if it becomes uncomfortable after 30mins.

+100000

If you listen to about every VR youtuber out there, you can get the impression that VR has come a long way. Fact is, it has not. Its still a lunchbox strapped to your face, with two mobile like screens in back of ancient optics.

The core VR experience since Facebook acquired Oculus has as you say, in several areas actually gone backwards.

Rift CV1 vs Quest 2 is lighter, better headstrap/more comfortable, better integrated headphones, better screens (OLED, although lower res) with slighly worse optics, better IPD adjustment, higher FOV. Computer vision has come a long way though, so they made it much easier to set up, with more flexible tracking.

If progress continuous at this pace, VR is going nowhere. Hopefully, Sony will be able to push forward in a meaningful way.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
I´m talking about VR gaming, you just don´t kill profitable brands. Talking about dumb takes lol.
You're aware that we're discussing the rebranding of a company that made a record 29 billion dollar net profit last year, right?

And you're also aware that they just did a huge keynote where they explained that rebrand was because the company was making VR their prime focus?

There's no sensible way to construe this as an attempt to distance themselves from VR, they're building the whole future of the company around it.

And this also follows the release of the most successful VR product to date, the Quest 2, which has sold millions and millions of units.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
You may be correct. But if you look at the progress since Facebook aquired oculus seven years ago they have made rather slow progress and in some areas they are actually going backwards.
I think the tech has to be brought back to the drawing board because VR will never be big if it becomes uncomfortable after 30mins.
The Project Cambria thing they announced sounds interesting. It's uses folded optics so it's way slimmer and lighter and doesn't rest directly on your face. Eye and face tracking and better reconstruction of your environment as well so it can do AR and not just VR.

The thing is, Facebook has demonstrated pretty clearly that finding the sweet spot between quality and price is a more successful strategy than pushing the tech to its limits. I like that they feel confident enough to do both now that they have a solid foundation with Quest 2, but it's obvious that Cambria is going to be a more niche product compared to something like Quest 2 that is able to successfully leverage some of the economies of volume created by cell phones.
 
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AlexxKidd

Member
I believe this is Zuckerberg trying to distance the device from Palmer Luckey, who probably came up with the name Oculus.
 

lukilladog

Member
You're aware that we're discussing the rebranding of a company that made a record 29 billion dollar net profit last year, right?

And you're also aware that they just did a huge keynote where they explained that rebrand was because the company was making VR their prime focus?

There's no sensible way to construe this as an attempt to distance themselves from VR, they're building the whole future of the company around it.

And this also follows the release of the most successful VR product to date, the Quest 2, which has sold millions and millions of units.

Which company that is being rebranded made 29 billion dolars?. You are mixing stuff in your head.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
Which company that is being rebranded made 29 billion dolars?
Are you actually not aware? Facebook is renaming the entire company "Meta," not just the Oculus line. So unless you're going to tell me "Facebook" is not profitable, it upsets your whole silly argument about successful products not rebranding.

You are mixing stuff in your head.
No, I'm not. In this case "Meta" is essentially an attempt to combine two very successful brands under a single label.

mwk4oDN.gif


Aside from which, we know Quest 2 is extremely successful. It sold about 8 million units in its first 8 months on the market. That's comparable to PS5.
 
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tassletine

Member
Annoying man, makes annoying company that does annoying things to annoy people.
Oculus is a far better name. It's descriptive and has a sci-fi ring to it, it sounds futuristic -- but I'm sure the focus groups know better.

I guess what they are trying to do is push the nickname from Oculus to Quest, as absolutely no-one is going to call the thing the 'meta'.

So, now it sounds more "dynamic". The sort of thing a dumb executive thinks is proactive. Like Batman vs Superman, Dawn Of Justice. Strong words for weak people.
 

10101

Gold Member
If it reaches level player one level of tech then it may not be too bad, because at least people can get exercise and social interaction in it will have some benefit, because it will be a more genuine social interaction then communicating using the internet today.

But this will take vastly better tech, VR really is in it bbc micro computer level of evolution.
Yeah that’s a cool film, but still not convinced it’s the way to go for everything. I like social interaction, but on a personal level - like tonight just popping down the pub with my wife, watching a band (they had a harp player, it was better than I expected lol), chatting with random people, listening to the drunk guy chat shit about politics, etc, etc.

Having zuck in charge of a future where we are all online and everything is curated is fucking scary to me tbh mate. The way they have handled their current tech with a complete disregard for any sort of morals doesn’t fill me with confidence they would manage a meta verse any better. Yeah they might get some other rich fucks like Sweeney on board so it isn’t a monopoly, but again not feeling that at all lol. It will be a curated advertising shitpit where they are metric tracking everything.

I’m sure this will happen and the masses will lap it up, but I’m old school and like talking to people in person, not avatars (I’m that dick that actually still calls people instead of texting). But then I deleted all my social media accounts two years ago and haven’t looked back so this probably isn’t for me anyway, which is fine 🤷‍♂️
 

Trilobit

Member
This is a super dumb take, at least with regard to Facebook.

Whether you believe in VR's long term success or not, this is obviously Facebook quadrupling down on VR, not abandoning it. They are making VR their "main" thing, and social media the "subsidiary" thing. They are literally rebranding the whole company around VR.

Maybe the future of Internet will look like Cowboy Bebop's interpretation.
crazy cowboy bebop GIF
 
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Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Yeah that’s a cool film, but still not convinced it’s the way to go for everything. I like social interaction, but on a personal level - like tonight just popping down the pub with my wife, watching a band (they had a harp player, it was better than I expected lol), chatting with random people, listening to the drunk guy chat shit about politics, etc, etc.

Having zuck in charge of a future where we are all online and everything is curated is fucking scary to me tbh mate. The way they have handled their current tech with a complete disregard for any sort of morals doesn’t fill me with confidence they would manage a meta verse any better. Yeah they might get some other rich fucks like Sweeney on board so it isn’t a monopoly, but again not feeling that at all lol. It will be a curated advertising shitpit where they are metric tracking everything.

I’m sure this will happen and the masses will lap it up, but I’m old school and like talking to people in person, not avatars (I’m that dick that actually still calls people instead of texting). But then I deleted all my social media accounts two years ago and haven’t looked back so this probably isn’t for me anyway, which is fine 🤷‍♂️

Its a matter of personal choice.

However I do wonder why zuck wants the metaverse to be a thing so much, Im not sure if its the best use of his time and money. I suppose hes probably thinking if he doesent do it somone else will and it may be much later.
Weather real life is better or not is a matter of circumstance. Now we live in a pandemic where people who have a comprimised immune system may prefer not to increase there chance of infection.
Also where I live in the UK when people injest alcohol they turn into assholes.
 
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lukilladog

Member
Are you actually not aware? Facebook is renaming the entire company "Meta," not just the Oculus line. So unless you're going to tell me "Facebook" is not profitable, it upsets your whole silly argument about successful products not rebranding.


No, I'm not. In this case "Meta" is essentially an attempt to combine two very successful brands under a single label.

mwk4oDN.gif


Aside from which, we know Quest 2 is extremely successful. It sold about 8 million units in its first 8 months on the market. That's comparable to PS5.

Did Zuckerberg said they have sold 8 million?, really. lol.
Anyway, succesful brands just don´t get erased, it makes no sense at all, this whole meta thing is most likely a strategic movement at the corporation level before intervention and regulations, and convenient to slowly dismiss VR under a different name and move to AR.
 

Notabueno

Banned
Facebook is one of the worst if not straight-up evil company in the most post-modern sense of it.

I hope they never get to do the metaverse or any metaverse for that matter.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
Did Zuckerberg said they have sold 8 million?, really. lol.
Anyway, succesful brands just don´t get erased, it makes no sense at all, this whole meta thing is most likely a strategic movement at the corporation level before intervention and regulations, and convenient to slowly dismiss VR under a different name and move to AR.
They're erasing both the Facebook and Oculus brand and merging them. These are obviously both successful brands. I know you feel embarrassed you said something foolish, but just own it, there's no refuting this.

This is also something that has been in the works for almost a year, it's not a reaction to recent controversy.

Did you watch their thing? I mean AR was a small part of it, and something they are working on but 99% of it was a vision statement about the future of VR.
 
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CitizenZ

Banned
I believe this is Zuckerberg trying to distance the device from Palmer Luckey, who probably came up with the name Oculus.

Damn, havent heard that name in yrs. Man, really cant think of another person, O wait, Notch is another. I just checked him out(Google) seems to be doing Ok and not afraid. Good for him.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
Damn, havent heard that name in yrs. Man, really cant think of another person, O wait, Notch is another. I just checked him out(Google) seems to be doing Ok and not afraid. Good for him.
Fun fact: Palmer Luckey's sister just married pedo congressmen Matt Gaetz, yeah they're doing fucking great.
 
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Flintty

Member
Can call it what they want, I’m never buying their shit again. I have a Rift S and it’s perfectly useable for games like Resident Evil VR but they’ve abandoned it and only supporting the Quest for that game. Fuck Zuck.
 

lukilladog

Member
They're erasing both the Facebook and Oculus brand and merging them. These are obviously both successful brands. I know you feel embarrassed you said something foolish, but just own it, there's no refuting this.

This is also something that has been in the works for almost a year, it's not a reaction to recent controversy.

Did you watch their thing? I mean AR was a small part of it, and something they are working on but 99% of it was a vision statement about the future of VR.

Lmfao, why a conglomerate would need to merge with one of their own subsidiaries?. And you think facebook didn´t face strong controversy a year ago?. Anyway, be happy taking corporate word as gospel, I prefer to discuss this with people that are interested on what is going behind the scenes.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
Lmfao, why a conglomerate would need to merge with one of their own subsidiaries?
They're not a subsidiary, they're an integrated part of the company and have been for some time.

And Facebook Reality Labs is actually one of the largest divisions in the company right now, accounting for about 10,000 employees, about 20% of the company total.

So maybe you can tell me, if you're really going to cling feebly to this premise that Facebook is moving away from VR, why are they dedicating so many resources to it and rebranding the whole company around it?

. And you think facebook didn´t face strong controversy a year ago?. Anyway, be happy taking corporate word as gospel, I prefer to discuss this with people that are interested on what is going behind the scenes.
If you're interested in it, then why do you seem to know less than nothing about it? Do you know a non-zero number of people in Facebook marketing? No?

Just admit you were wrong dude. You can still talk shit and say they'll crash and burn or it's a dumb idea, but clearly they are doubling down on VR.
 
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EekTheKat

Member
A reminder to never be first in line anything with Facebook/oculus when it comes to account shenanigans.

Back in the day you had to go through essentially two layers of support in oculus then Facebook if the account merge went badly, and I suspect it will not be easy to go the other direction.

If they do make it easy, expect software to be buggy and glitched for a few months.

Source: I created a Facebook account for my Oculus quest and was promptly banned for following their directions for their forced merger. Took about a week to clear up and was definitely unpleasant to go through.
 

lukilladog

Member
They're not a subsidiary, they're an integrated part of the company and have been for some time.

And Facebook Reality Labs is actually one of the largest divisions in the company right now, accounting for about 10,000 employees, about 20% of the company total.

Then it is no really a merge you see?. The number of employees being bigger than other divisions of facebook is nothing strange, software companies can be very small, still I could bet is the one that brings them the less $ by far, if any.

So maybe you can tell me, if you're really going to cling feebly to this premise that Facebook is moving away from VR, why are they dedicating so many resources to it and rebranding the whole company around it?

Nobody said they are moving away from VR, but certainly they are moving the focus away from VR gaming.

If you're interested in it, then why do you seem to know less than nothing about it? Do you know a non-zero number of people in Facebook marketing? No?

Yeah right, facebook marketing is a reliable source of information. You probably think they are.

Just admit you were wrong dude. You can still talk shit and say they'll crash and burn or it's a dumb idea, but clearly they are doubling down on VR her


I have yet to hear any kind of argument about why they had to drop the oculus brand along with the market recognition it had, it would have cost them nothing to keep it as a facade.
 

Romulus

Member
Yeah, I doubt they'll be moving away from VR gaming after the overwhelming positivity of RE4 VR. Probably the worst time you could say that. If anything, it will inspire them further because many believed it would be terrible. MOH Quest is next.
 
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jason10mm

Gold Member
If I can make a meta account that us basically just an empty shell for oculus, I might actually get one. Though it is probably still a sham, they will know exactly who I am based on IP and credit card data. Still, at least it gives me the illusion of pseudo anonymity when I'm doing vr pron :p
 
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IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

Facebook announced the requirement to have an account with the platform in order to use an Oculus Quest device last year. Expectedly, people were none too happy about the idea of having to connect a social media account to their catalog of Quest purchases and products. The backlash was well-documented, but the requirement remained in place.

That's changing in the future, though we don't know when. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during the company's recent keynote speech that the Facebook login requirement will be removed in the future. Work has already begun to test "work accounts" for the devices, and within the next year, we'll see a broader implementation of the change.

"As we've focused more on work, and frankly as we've heard your feedback more broadly, we're working on making it so you can log in into Quest with an account other than your personal Facebook account," Zuckerberg said. "We're starting to test support for work accounts soon, and we're working on making a broader shift here, within the next year."

Over on the social media platform, Facebook's VP of AR/VR Andrew Bosworth commented on the requirement being removed as well after he confirmed that the Oculus Quest itself was being rebranded and would soon be known as the Meta Quest.

"As we've focused more on work, and as we've heard feedback from the VR community more broadly, we're working on new ways to log into Quest that won't require a Facebook account, landing sometime next year," Bosworth said. "This is one of our highest priority areas of work internally."
 

LOLCats

Banned
Hey let's spend a bunch of time integrating this great product into our shitty product not worrying about the feedback....

oh it was received poorly... let's go ahead and undo it all!
 
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Goalus

Member
With microsoft no longer seeing VR gaming as a money making opportunity, and Facebook literally giving up on the occulus brand, it seems that VR gaming is pretty much dead. It is just a matter of time before valve and sony throw the towel as well.
Tethered VR is dead - which is a good thing. VR can never reach its final form as long as it needs an external processing unit (or accessories like lighthouse) in order to function at all.
 
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