Looking for a Paperweight? Buy an Oculus Quest 2 and Get Your Facebook Account Locked

We've all been there - we've all looked longingly at someone elses' flashy paperweight - an Escher puzzle, a coffee mug, a smartphone, a badly flashed GPU or even a face mask are all worthy contenders vying for our attention. Facebook, however, has been turning the paperweight game on its head, and in the real world too - some users who bought the most recent Quest 2 headset (which is apparently selling pretty well) are being given the opportunity to adorn their desks with this high-tech, low-key paperweight due to its Facebook-required integration. Essentially, users who have their Facebook accounts banned (or, more specifically, with pending verification) have been met with difficulties in actually using their Quest 2 (which, by all accounts, is a huge step forward for the VR space).Facebook's integration with Oculus was something that was guaranteed not to happen back during the acquisition; however, recently, we've discovered that Facebook integration would become mandatory for all Oculus headsets (previous models will be grandfathered via their Oculus accounts until 2023), and that the Quest 2 would be the first headset to mandate that users link their Facebook accounts. The problem stems from Facebook flagging accounts for verification - if that user has an Oculus Quest 2, they won't be able to use the device until the account has been successfully verified. This can be a lengthy process, as Facebook employs a photograph verification process that can sometimes take upwards of three months to get human validation form Facebook's side. Users trying to reactivate old Facebook accounts to use with the Quest 2 have been successfully linked, only to be immediately locked out due to identity verification requirements.

Facebook's idea on Real Identity (where any one account actually fully represents a single person that exists in the non-digital world, and is thus much more valuable for data gathering and advertising revenue) is partly to blame here, as it may bring an overzealous disposition to the table - at least when it comes to Oculus Quest 2 paperweights. For now, Facebook is directing Quest 2 users who have run into these account verification issues to try and clear them with Oculus support. here's hoping that process takes a little less than three months.