AR headset for a teen
March 22, 2022 5:54 AM Subscribe
My son used an Oculus headset at a friends house, and now he wants one for his birthday. From what I can see there’s a mandatory Facebook login to use it, and seems to require a gaming PC for most apps. We’re a 100% Apple household and I despise Facebook. What do I do?
I would strongly prefer to get him an Apple powered AR headset but the rumored hardware will not be available until well after his birthday. I don’t want to drop $300 on a device that will only allow him to play a few games without also buying an $800 dedicated gaming rig to go with it. And I am really icked out by the idea of having to set up a Facebook account for a 13 year old just so he can use a new game system. I hate the company’s ethics and refuse to use their services.
So that’s the downside of the device, what are the upsides? Are there any, aside from the fact that the system is a fraction of the cost of competitors? We don’t have any clue what he can do with it, how difficult it would be for him to connect with friends (without using Facebook), etc. He’s played Beatsaber and knows at least one buddy who tried Minecraft in AR. We have several M1 Macs that could theoretically tether to a headset but no Windows systems. Our only gaming consoles are various generations of Nintendo.
Birthday is in May. I’m trying to gather enough information to allow us to make an informed decision as to whether this is a good purchase despite the Facebook tie-in, or a bad idea from the outset. Help!
I would strongly prefer to get him an Apple powered AR headset but the rumored hardware will not be available until well after his birthday. I don’t want to drop $300 on a device that will only allow him to play a few games without also buying an $800 dedicated gaming rig to go with it. And I am really icked out by the idea of having to set up a Facebook account for a 13 year old just so he can use a new game system. I hate the company’s ethics and refuse to use their services.
So that’s the downside of the device, what are the upsides? Are there any, aside from the fact that the system is a fraction of the cost of competitors? We don’t have any clue what he can do with it, how difficult it would be for him to connect with friends (without using Facebook), etc. He’s played Beatsaber and knows at least one buddy who tried Minecraft in AR. We have several M1 Macs that could theoretically tether to a headset but no Windows systems. Our only gaming consoles are various generations of Nintendo.
Birthday is in May. I’m trying to gather enough information to allow us to make an informed decision as to whether this is a good purchase despite the Facebook tie-in, or a bad idea from the outset. Help!
You can always go Playstation VR, which is compatible with Playstation 4 or 5.
Everything else either requires a PC or costs $1400+ (except HTC Vive Cosmos which is 900)
posted by kschang at 6:48 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Everything else either requires a PC or costs $1400+ (except HTC Vive Cosmos which is 900)
posted by kschang at 6:48 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
My son has an Oculus Quest (which, I think, they renamed). it is indeed a standalone, and, while it requires a FB login, for now, he used a sockpuppet name and email, signed up and then never used any fb functionality again.
He definitely plays PC games on it as well (so could your child if they were visiting friends) but he got it for the standalone aspects of it.
posted by OHenryPacey at 6:57 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
He definitely plays PC games on it as well (so could your child if they were visiting friends) but he got it for the standalone aspects of it.
posted by OHenryPacey at 6:57 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
You don't need a PC, although if he wants to play standalone Minecraft (QuestCraft) he'll have to do some fiddly side-loading.
The upsides are ... well, it's the only standalone wireless room-scale VR headset for $300. Some of the games are real workouts and can get your heart beating much faster than Wii Fit. Game devs are still figuring out the medium and it's been exciting to witness, e.g. games like Superhot. Boxing, table tennis, climbing, flying, minigolf games are all pretty cool. Skiing isn't there yet.
The downsides, beside the facebookiness, is that the most popular experiences aren't very deep, they're mostly 10-minute arcade games. The "multiverse" apps and VR Chat are reportedly a shitshow, as you'd expect when you get unsocialized 13-year olds together in an semi-anonymous space. My nephew has put his in the closet and gone back to the Switch.
Right now you need a Facebook login for social features. If you create a sockpuppet account, be sure to use a private browser window (or separate user account if you're being extra paranoid) and don't install the app.
posted by credulous at 7:28 AM on March 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
The upsides are ... well, it's the only standalone wireless room-scale VR headset for $300. Some of the games are real workouts and can get your heart beating much faster than Wii Fit. Game devs are still figuring out the medium and it's been exciting to witness, e.g. games like Superhot. Boxing, table tennis, climbing, flying, minigolf games are all pretty cool. Skiing isn't there yet.
The downsides, beside the facebookiness, is that the most popular experiences aren't very deep, they're mostly 10-minute arcade games. The "multiverse" apps and VR Chat are reportedly a shitshow, as you'd expect when you get unsocialized 13-year olds together in an semi-anonymous space. My nephew has put his in the closet and gone back to the Switch.
Right now you need a Facebook login for social features. If you create a sockpuppet account, be sure to use a private browser window (or separate user account if you're being extra paranoid) and don't install the app.
posted by credulous at 7:28 AM on March 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately, the Quest headsets are really unique in their affordability and ability to operate without a separate system (PC, PS). I'm also hoping that a competitor steps up in this space, but nothing's come up yet.
You could buy the Quest and set up a dummy Facebook account, you could buy or use a PS console (4 or 5) and buy a PSVR, or you could invest in a PC that can power a VR headset, and then buy an accompanying headset.
Unfortunately there is no perfect headset right now that's non-Facebook, affordable*, and standalone.
*obviously this is different to everyone, but I'm using <~$600 as a gauge
posted by rachaelfaith at 7:30 AM on March 22, 2022
You could buy the Quest and set up a dummy Facebook account, you could buy or use a PS console (4 or 5) and buy a PSVR, or you could invest in a PC that can power a VR headset, and then buy an accompanying headset.
Unfortunately there is no perfect headset right now that's non-Facebook, affordable*, and standalone.
*obviously this is different to everyone, but I'm using <~$600 as a gauge
posted by rachaelfaith at 7:30 AM on March 22, 2022
You need a Facebook to set it up, but you don't really need to use it after that. We just made a throwaway account for my brother's one. It does need a pc/ laptop of some sort to modify settings and some other things, but the oculus itself has processing power for its games. You'd need a pc to play pc games on it though, and the support/ functionality of that is not so great.
I have really enjoyed playing it, it seems well built and designed and now I want one myself. It doesn't have huge depth, but is still really cool imo.
posted by stillnocturnal at 7:32 AM on March 22, 2022
I have really enjoyed playing it, it seems well built and designed and now I want one myself. It doesn't have huge depth, but is still really cool imo.
posted by stillnocturnal at 7:32 AM on March 22, 2022
playstation VR is really great and cute, but oculus is so much cheaper and the cordlessness is more of a game changer thank i wish it was.
maybe have a cathartic exorcise of making a facebook account that's a bit adversarial, with a fake name & garbage demographic info, and perhaps buying used or refurbished. i hate facebook too, but there's not a lot of other options here.
posted by wowenthusiast at 10:30 AM on March 22, 2022
maybe have a cathartic exorcise of making a facebook account that's a bit adversarial, with a fake name & garbage demographic info, and perhaps buying used or refurbished. i hate facebook too, but there's not a lot of other options here.
posted by wowenthusiast at 10:30 AM on March 22, 2022
We had a Playstation 4 with VR & it was a pain to get it set up & working properly every time the kids wanted to play. We ended up selling it.
We also have an Oculus Quest 2. I don't think we've ever used a PC to interact with it. The nice thing is that it just works. Put on the headset, turn it on, & do stuff. Unlike the PSVR, the screen doesn't go blank because someone walked between the headset & the receiver. You don't have to worry about being a specific distance from the receiver and screen. You aren't tethered to anything. You can easily take it to a friend's house or on vacation.
Our Oculus is linked to my spouse's FB account & I see their friends pop up on the home screen. I don't know how easy it is to connect with friends without having that FB link.
My tween/teen kids enjoyed the Oculus for a couple hours but rarely use it now. (They liked the Beat Saber demo & the International Space Station simulator.) I use it daily for working out with Supernatural.
posted by belladonna at 11:00 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
We also have an Oculus Quest 2. I don't think we've ever used a PC to interact with it. The nice thing is that it just works. Put on the headset, turn it on, & do stuff. Unlike the PSVR, the screen doesn't go blank because someone walked between the headset & the receiver. You don't have to worry about being a specific distance from the receiver and screen. You aren't tethered to anything. You can easily take it to a friend's house or on vacation.
Our Oculus is linked to my spouse's FB account & I see their friends pop up on the home screen. I don't know how easy it is to connect with friends without having that FB link.
My tween/teen kids enjoyed the Oculus for a couple hours but rarely use it now. (They liked the Beat Saber demo & the International Space Station simulator.) I use it daily for working out with Supernatural.
posted by belladonna at 11:00 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
All of the Oculus headsets that needed to be connected to a PC have been discontinued. The Quest 2 is the current model and it’s a stand-alone system.
Both of my parents (in their 70s) have Quest 2 systems and use them quite a lot. The upside is they’ve been able to play games and socialize with their siblings & extended family members during the past couple of winters when it’s been difficult to visit people safely indoors. They also get a little exercise, which is not always easy during Minnesota winters. My parents are looking forward to the rumored Apple VR device, though from what I’ve read in the tech press such a device would probably be much more expensive than a Quest.
As far as Facebook goes, you do need to have an account in order to connect with others and buy games on the Quest, though it was announced this will no longer be necessary at some point soon. My dad is very much not a fan of FB, but created an account solely for using his Quest 2. He hasn’t uploaded any personal info to his profile aside from his name. One of my uncles initially attempted to create a FB account with a fake name and was locked out of using his Quest (he eventually relented and made a real-name profile).
If you’re worried about your kid using FB for safely reasons… FB is extremely uncool and it’s pretty unlikely that teens (at least in the US) would want to spend time there if it can be avoided.
posted by theory at 2:10 PM on March 22, 2022
Both of my parents (in their 70s) have Quest 2 systems and use them quite a lot. The upside is they’ve been able to play games and socialize with their siblings & extended family members during the past couple of winters when it’s been difficult to visit people safely indoors. They also get a little exercise, which is not always easy during Minnesota winters. My parents are looking forward to the rumored Apple VR device, though from what I’ve read in the tech press such a device would probably be much more expensive than a Quest.
As far as Facebook goes, you do need to have an account in order to connect with others and buy games on the Quest, though it was announced this will no longer be necessary at some point soon. My dad is very much not a fan of FB, but created an account solely for using his Quest 2. He hasn’t uploaded any personal info to his profile aside from his name. One of my uncles initially attempted to create a FB account with a fake name and was locked out of using his Quest (he eventually relented and made a real-name profile).
If you’re worried about your kid using FB for safely reasons… FB is extremely uncool and it’s pretty unlikely that teens (at least in the US) would want to spend time there if it can be avoided.
posted by theory at 2:10 PM on March 22, 2022
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posted by Kosh at 6:19 AM on March 22, 2022