It was just last week that Facebook announced that the company would be forcing Oculus VR headset users to sign-up for a Facebook account and would eventually retire Oculus accounts. Now the company is going one step further and has announced that Facebook Oculus is no more, and will be rebranded as Facebook Reality Labs.
“Oculus lets people defy distance with cutting-edge VR hardware, while Portal helps friends and families stay connected and share the moments that matter in meaningful ways. Spark AR powers AR experiences for Facebook’s apps and devices. Our research teams invent and iterate on novel technologies that break exciting new ground.” “Today, we’re introducing a new name for Facebook’s AR/VR team — Facebook Reality Labs (FRL)”.
I wonder if that means that instead of asking for an Oculus Rift S, we’ll be asking for a Facebook Reality Labs Rift S. Talk about a mouthful.
That’s not the only thing to get a name change, as Oculus Connect is now dubbed Facebook Connect. Facebook Connect will take place on September 16, 2020, as a virtual event and will be free for anyone who wants to attend. During this event, we’ll find out more about the upcoming innovations from Oculus Facebook and possibly the new VR headset that was leaked a while back.
All of these changes show Facebook wants to distance itself from the former Oculus branding, that the company purchased back in 2014 for Two Billion in cash, Facebook shares, and incentives. Anything that the company touches eventually becomes an entirety with the company. Of course, this is still rubbing a number of Oculus users the wrong way, and if last week’s news is any indication, we could see a mass exodus of users from the VR giant.
As for myself, I’m not entirely sure how I feel. I love my Rift S VR headset, and I’ve used it quite a bit during our pandemic lockdown. At the same time, I am not a fan of Facebook thanks to their practics of selling data, treating employees like trash, and their arrogance. Very conflicted about this move, to say the least, and that’s all I have to say about that.
Source: Facebook
