Oculus will require people to log in through Facebook before they can use its VR devices, company says

• Facebook-owned Oculus said it will soon require users to sign in with a Facebook account before they can use the company's VR devices.
• Starting in October, first-time users won't be able to use an Oculus headset unless they log in through Facebook.
• Existing users with Oculus accounts will have the option to merge them with their Facebook profiles or use their Oculus account until early 2023, at which point support will end.
• The move comes as lawmakers continue to probe Facebook over antitrust concerns and over whether or not the social media giant has benefited from monopolistic business practices.

Oculus is rolling out changes that will soon require users to sign in with a Facebook account before they can use the company's VR devices.

In a company blog post published Tuesday, Oculus announced a series of updates to how people will be able to use the company's devices moving forward:

• Starting in October, first-time Oculus users won't be able to use the firm's devices unless they sign in with a Facebook account
• Existing users with Oculus accounts will have the option to merge with their Facebook accounts
• If existing users with Oculus accounts don't want to merge with a Facebook account, they have two years to use it.

In early 2023, the firm will "end support for Oculus accounts." Users could still use their Oculus devices, but at decreased functionality since "some games and apps may no longer work." The company says it's rolling out the updates to make it easier for people to connect and play with friends in VR.

Facebook did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion in 2014. As The Verge notes, the social media giant has been making strides to merge its myriad platforms, and its updates requiring Oculus users to log in through Facebook is one of the latest examples of that.

The move also comes as Facebook remains entangled in a congressional antitrust probe that is investigating the firm and other tech giants over anticompetitive business practices. Apple, Google, and Amazon are also involved in the probe, but Facebook is in the spotlight specifically for its acquisitions of would-be competitors, like WhatsApp and Instagram.