Facebook’s Oculus update allows 4 user accounts in one VR headset; app sharing rolls out as ‘experimental feature’

The Facebook-owned VR headset company, Oculus, finally launched a couple of much-requested features. The update, albeit still in testing, will allow up to four different user accounts to be logged in on a single device.

Oculus Quest 2 receives ‘experimental features’ in a new update

While VR headsets have become mainstream over the last few years, it is still now as widely bought as other everyday gadgets like smartphones. Recognizing that many people start using VR headsets by borrowing from others, Oculus introduced an update on Thursday that lets multiple user accounts be registered in a single headset.

In a blog post, the Facebook-owned company referred to the multi-user accounts and app sharing as “experimental features.” With this update, an Oculus Quest 2 headset can have one admin account (a.k.a. the owner of the device), which can then add three more user accounts. Users will log in with their Facebook accounts. It was, however, hinted that the number of allowed accounts in one headset could be changed through the course of this experiment.

When the new app sharing function is enabled, all logged in users can access apps bought from the Oculus Store in the Quest 2 headset. Each account can have its achievements and game progress stored separately to their accounts. Each user can also keep unique friends list, browsing history, and privacy settings including the use of an unlock pattern to secure their profile.

Oculus noted that additional accounts can purchase their own apps and content but they cannot share it with the other people logged in on the device, even the admin account. Also, if an additional account user decides to get their own Oculus headset, they will not be able to access the data from the apps that were purchased using the admin account on their previously shared device.

That means additional account users who might get their own headset in the future may want to consider purchasing content from the Oculus Store through their own profile. But that would mean not sharing those purchases with the other users, including the actual owner (admin account) of the device. It is also important to note that the designated admin account cannot be changed unless users perform a factory reset on the headset.

Are these features launching on other Oculus Quest headsets?

As mentioned, the multi-user accounts and app sharing features are currently limited to Oculus Quest 2 owners. However, the company confirmed its plans to roll out these functions on other Quest-branded headsets once the experimental phase is completed.

Featured photo by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels