this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2024
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I don't understand how gamers can so vehemently hate Facebook and Instagram, but salivate so heavily over the Meta Quest. A VR system that explicitly requires you to have a Meta account and will send all of your data up to them. All the same things they claim to hate about FB.
As one of those gamers, the answer imho is quite simple: Ignoring the awful data practices of Meta, the Quest 2/3 as a product is great. Over the years, my Q2 kept improving, with constant updates, new features and general performance improvements. I just got a Q3, and the technological jump is enormous. Add to that the absolute lack of (affordable) alternatives, and you have an easy choice: recognize that Meta has done more for the VR space than anyone else, or don't do VR.
I mean they're a mega corp willing to lose billions upon billions to own the market. That none of their competitors are willing to bleed money like that isn't surprising, and buying into such an obviously poisoned platform is not a good idea for the future of the industry unless you want it to be owned by Meta.
I fully agree with you that Meta should not have the quasi monopoly that they have. But what's the alternative?
As an individual consumer... Not much. Still wouldn't buy their product as it's showing support with whatever little power you have.
In a better world there would be market regulations or something to keep a massive company from burning all their money in a market to have an unfair advantage over all others.
Alternative is not to give any money AND data to Meta
I'm sorry, but it's not. Same as the alternative to a meat-based diet isn't "have you tried starving?". Only other inside-out tracking headsets are made by Apple and Pico (Bytedance). Both companies that are as bad as Meta. You can debate whether humanity needs VR/AR, but that's a different topic. VR in it's current state is driven by Meta.
There aren't many viable alternatives, so I do understand it. Valve Index is probably the most free but it's expensive and starting to become out of date. The Reverb G2 will get no further updates in 2025, and will require you to stay on an old version of Windows (and using Windows in general isn't great from a data privacy perspective). Any of the remaining alternatives are expensive and/or very niche.
It sucks, and I hope Valve does come out with the rumoured Deckard headset, because we need something that is well supported and not tied to the whims of Facebook or Microsoft.
As usual, people are not willing to give something up to stick to their ideals. They may bitch and moan but when asked to not buy a quest, it's too much of a sacrifice. :)
People don't even change their browser from Chrome because Google say it's faster (since the only thing where Google can compete is speed - they can't compete on privacy).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the meta VR headsets by far the best price/performance ones out there. I have barely any experience with VR, but every time I look the other brands are way more expensive.
Of course, that's how it works. But just because you make an economically sound decision doesn't mean you don't get tracked and data mined by these scumbag companies. :)
Agree with this comment and your first. Having ideals isn't worth much if you aren't willing to put your money where your mouth is. The cheap option is almost always the least moral one. "It's better for the price" doesn't justify - it does the opposite.
Fast fashion isn't okay because it's cheap, you're just choosing to ignore the slave labor.
IKEA is cheaper but unless you're truly going to keep the thing 10+ years you're contributing to our throw away culture.
Examples go on
Cheaper is almost never the better alternative. You pay more to do the better thing, and if there isn't a better thing, then sometimes that means going without. When it comes to meta, I'll happily not take part in VR and wait for something else, or continue to use my existing equipment.
Yep that's how it is. Also the worst food is cheap, and marketing of bad things like alcohol and cigarettes are targeting people without much education or self esteem.
Society is upside down and harmful to humans by default, unless we have money, since money is the only thing that gives us options. Controlling the money flow is therefore God Mode, and if you don't have money, you are playing on Very Hard mode by default.