To help build its Metaverse, users of Meta’s VR headsets will now be able to create a Meta account together with a Meta Horizon profile starting this August, eliminating the need to use an existing Facebook account or Oculus account when signing up or logging in.
Meta has emphasized that a Meta account is not a social media profile but rather an account that allows you to log in to your VR devices and manage all apps in one place.
Meta has also given the option to link your Meta account with your Facebook and Instagram account at the Accounts Center to help connect across all their technologies and unlock connected VR experiences.
Users who used to log in to their VR devices via their Oculus account can continue to do so until January 1, 2023. At that point, users would need to create a Meta account and Meta Horizon profile.
The new Meta Horizon Profile is a social profile made specifically for VR where users will be able to choose their appearance, username, profile name, profile photo, avatar, and more.
Each Meta account will be able to create only one Meta Horizon Profile. Meta has also stated that your Oculus friends will now become your followers and that you’ll follow them by default with your Meta Horizon Profile.
Furthermore, Meta has added privacy controls to help you control who you interact with in VR. The new menu will feature three privacy options: Open to Everyone, Friends and Family, and Solo.
Users will also be able to set their Meta Horizon profile to private just like in Instagram, whereby other users would need to send a follow request with the other user accepting the request before following.
Meta has noted that those between the ages of 13 to 17 will have their Meta Horizon profiles set to private by default.
